Small slender perennial with a short woody rhizome with crowded bulbs producing many leafy shoots and few fertile shoots; bulbs 3–5 x 2–3 mm, shortly oval to almost globose (previous years' bulbs may appear cylindrical), consisting of a woody base (and sometimes basal stem) surrounded by numerous pale glabrous leaf-sheaths with prominent blackish nerves; c. five of the sheaths with a leaf-blade. Leaf-blades to 6 cm long and 0.5–1 mm wide, flat but often inrolled, rather thick and without prominent nerves, glabrous or minutely scabrid on margin. Stems 5–10 cm long and 0.2–0.4 mm thick, obtusely angular, glabrous, with blades from the lower 1 cm only. Inflorescence a small anthela consisting of 1–2 sessile spikelets (in depauperate specimens) or an up to 1 cm wide digitate cluster of 3–6 spikelets with or without an additional stalked spikelet or digitate cluster of 2–3 spikelets; peduncle to 8 mm long with a tubular basal prophyll to 3 mm long. Spikelets 3–8 x 1.5–2 mm, linear-lanceolate with acute apex, with 7–15 rather distantly placed flowers. Glumes 1.5–1.8 mm long, ovate, medium to dark reddish brown with usually indistinct paler margin and 3–4 slender paler nerves on each side of the greenish midrib which ends in the acute apex or is very slightly excurrent. Stamens 3. Style 1.5–2 mm long, medium reddish brown with 3 c. 1 mm long branches. Nutlet triangular, immature.
