Tall, often solitary or in small tufts, brittle perennial, to 100 cm high or more, stem short, whole plant with yellowish tints, foliage including scapes papillose-rugulose. Leaves erect or ascending, 20-40 cm, sheath abruptly dilated, there castaneous, ciliate, eligulate or with short (less than 0.5 mm) ligule, blade flattened, 3-5 mm wide, margins pale-ciliate and tuberculate. Scapes distally flattened, 2-3 mm wide, 2 flat ribs making pale-ciliate edges; spikes broadly ovoid, ellipsoid or cylindric, 1-3 cm, pale red-brown or yellow-tan, bracts numerous in a spiral, lacking dorsal area and with narrow but distinctive, reddish, scario-lacerate margins; empty bracts several, grading larger into the flowering ones, these broadly obovate to suborbicular, 5-7 mm, ecarinate. Lateral sepals free, very inequilateral, curved, 5.5-6.5 mm, keel broad, lacero-fimbriate or ciliate from about middle to tip; petals obovate, ca. 5 mm; staminodes bearded; anthers 2 mm long. Capsule 2.5-3 mm, placentation basal, valves eseptate; seeds ellipsoid-cylindric, ca. 1 mm, amber.
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