glabrous; rhizome woody, decumbent; stems 3–10 in. long, trigonous at the top, bulbous, woody at base, enclosed by fibrillose remains of leaf-sheaths; leaves often 2/3 the length of the stem, 1/8 in. broad; rays of umbel 3–0, 0–1 1/2 in. long; bracts 3, similar to the leaves, lowest up to 3 in. long, suberect; spikelets 3–10 together, fascicled, up to 3/4 by 1/5 in., usually smaller, compressed, narrow-lanceolate, 20-flowered, reddish to brown; glumes boat-shaped, close-packed, ovate, pointed, 9–13-ribbed; rhachilla not winged; stamens 3; anthers linear, not crested; nut 2/3 the length of the glume, trigonous, narrowly obovoid, subobtuse, black reticulated with white; undivided part of style very long, much exserted from the glume; branches 3–2, much shorter than the style, usually very short indeed, sometimes 0. null