stems 2–3 ft. high, erect, slightly branched, coarsely tubercled, olivaceous; leaf-sheaths about 1 in. long, closely convolute, coriaceous, dividing below the long, acuminate or aristate apex into two deep, deltoid-lanceolate, hyaline lobes; male spikelets numerous, closely arranged in erect, linear, panicled cymes; each spikelet 1/4– 1/2 in. long, erect, many-flowered, linear-oblong; spathe sheath-like, almost as long as the spikelet; bracts closely overlapping, oblong, coriaceous, slightly membranous near the shortly mucronate apex; flowers shortly stalked; outer perianth-segments rather rigid, brownish; lateral conduplicate, villous-carinate; inner shorter and thinner, more or less concrescent at the base; anthers linear, ferruginous; pistillode minute; female plant, inflorescence and perianth nearly as in the male; ovary oblong-ovoid, compressed, 3-, or by abortion 2–1-celled; staminodes 3. null
