Robust tussocky perennial with a thick branched rhizome and long stolons; stems 1–35 cm long and 2–5 mm thick, triangular to almost rounded. Leaves many, 10–40 cm long and 3–8 mm wide, flat or folded, rather stiff, scabrid on margin; sheaths green to light reddish brown. Inflorescence a large globose head or sometimes a more open anthela surrounded by 4–8 long leafy bracts; major involucral bract 10–25 cm long and 4–6 mm wide, strongly scabrid on margin, spreading or reflexed. Anthela 4–8 cm in diam., consisting of numerous almost sessile digitate spikelet-clusters, or sometimes the spikelet-clusters on 0.5–2.5 cm long peduncles; each spikelet-cluster with 6–15 spikelets. Spikelets 14–20 x 3–5 mm, linear-lanceolate, pale brown to almost whitish, 10–20-flowered, only slightly compressed. Glumes 6–8 mm long, broadly ovate, concave, light reddish brown with paler margin and numerous narrow nerves; midrib thickened above and slightly excurrent or ending in apex. Stamens 3. Style with 3 long branches. Nutlet 2–2.3 x 1–1.2 mm, obovate, dark brown, minutely papillose.
