Tussocky perennial with few–many clustered oblong stem-bases on an obscure rhizome; stems 20–40 cm long and 1–2 mm thick, triangular, glabrous, with many withered loose leaf sheaths at the base and appearing swollen. Leaves with 5–30 cm long and 1–3 mm wide flat blades; sheaths pale above, brown below. Inflorescence a dense triangular to hemispherical contracted anthela 1–2 cm in diam.; involucral bracts 4–7, leafy, spreading or reflexed, the largest 10–30 cm long. Spikes obscure, c. 10 mm long and 7–9 mm wide, consisting of 10–25 crowded spikelets. Spikelets 4–5 x 1.5–2 mm, ovate, only slightly compressed, 3–4-flowered. Glumes 3–4 mm long, pale but light to medium reddish brown at least in patches, with 5–8 prominent nerves on each side of the narrow green midrib that ends in the acute apex or is slightly excurrent. Style with 3 long branches. Nutlet 1.6–1.8 x c. 1 mm, oval, sharply triangular, minutely papillose.
