Slender annual. Stems 5–20 cm long and 0.3–0.5 mm thick, angular, hairy to glabrescent. Leaf-sheaths straw-coloured to brownish, prominently nerved, densely short-hairy with longer hairs at the orifices; blades to c. 10 cm long and 0.5 mm wide, flat or somewhat inrolled, hairy. Inflorescence a solitary terminal spikelet or consisting of 1 sessile spikelet subtended by 1–3 stalked spikelets; involucral bracts usually shorter than the inflorescence. Spikelets 4–6 x c. 3 mm, ovate with obtuse or subacute apex, 10–15-flowered. Glumes 2.2–2.5 mm long, ovate-triangular, medium to dark reddish brown, but frequently pale towards margin and apex, densely short-hairy both on surface and margin; midrib green, minutely hairy and excurrent into a short mucro. Nutlet c. 0.8 mm long, prominently triangular both in outline and in section, light reddish brown, with 5–6 prominent transverse undulations on each of the 3 sides; swollen style-base usually not persistent on the mature nutlet.