Fairly robust succulent perennial with a short rhizome, and sometimes with 1–5 cm long stolons; stems 15–60 cm long and 0.5–2 mm thick (but often thicker near the base when fresh), triangular, glabrous. Leaves up to 25 cm long and 1–4 mm wide, flat, scabrid at least on margin; sheaths numerous at the base and producing a cylindrical pseudobulb, pallid or pale brown, but sometimes partly purplish. Inflorescence a 1–8 cm wide anthela consisting of several usually stalked short spikes, but the spikes may appear like digitate spikelet-clusters when consisting of 3–5 spikelets only; involucral bracts 2–5, leafy, erect or spreading, the largest 3–15 cm long and 1–3 mm wide; anthela of (1–)3–6 spikes on 0.2–4 cm long peduncles. Spikes 1–2 x 1–3 cm, with 5–10 spreading or reflexed spikelets. Spikelets 5–17 x 2–4 mm, linear-lanceolate, 8–18-flowered. Glumes 3–4 mm long, ovate-oblong, pale or dark reddish brown with 4–8 slender ribs on each side of the green or reddish brown midrib that is usually ending in the apex. Style with 3 branches. Nutlet 1.6–1.8 x 0.5–0.7 mm, triangular, oblong-elliptic, brown and densely papillose.
