Rhizome horizontal, 1/8 in. in diam. Leaves all basal, up to 20–30 by 3/4 in., 3-nerved. Stem (i.e. scape) lateral, 20–28 in. long, stout, trigonous, without nodes. Corymb 4–6 in. in diam., depressed, subumbellate from the numerous approximate branches springing horizontally, of 40–100 spikes; lowest bract 1–2 in. long, not leaf-like, lanceolate-linear, somewhat coloured. Spikes 1/5– 1/4 in. long, in flower ellipsoid, in fruit globose, bright brown. Bract to the spikelet 1/12 in. long, ovate, obtuse. Glumes to the 2 lowest male flowers 1/12 in. long, keeled, distinct. Nut obovoid, flattened, smooth; the beak spongy, straw-coloured, obovoid, broader than the nut, exserted above the bract.
