stems erect, terete, slender, 18 in. long, coarsely tubercled, with flat, regular, disc-like prominences; sterile stems when present shorter, sparingly branched; branches filiform, curved; cauline sheaths 1–1 1/2 in. long, tightly convolute, thinner at the apex, gradually tapering, obsoletely mucronate; leafy sheaths smaller, with two hyaline lobes near the apex; male spikelets in loose, terminal, panicled cymes; peduncles nodding; spikelets 1/4– 1/2 in. long, cylindric-oblong, ultimately clavate; spathe oblong, acute, mucronate, as long as the spikelet; bracts at first closely overlapping, ultimately loosely imbricate, oblong-obovate, coriaceous, ferruginous, shortly mucronate; flowers arcuate, shorter than the bracts; perianth-segments linear-oblong; lateral conduplicate, with a narrow keel; female plant like the male; spikelets solitary or twin, many-flowered, cuneate-oblong, 3/4 in. long; bracts loosely imbricate, oblong-lanceolate, longer than the orbicular flowers; perianth-segments membranous, with purple lines; outer lateral deeply winged-carinate, with lacerate keel; intermediate oblong, obtuse, membranous, lacerate and fringed; inner 3 oblong, obtuse, lacerate; fruit oblong, obtuse, coriaceous, 1-celled, 1-seeded, indehiscent; styles 3. null
