Perennial, greenish herb, 10-25 cm tall, with short rootstock, simple, filiform, hollow stem, without cauline leaves. Basal leaves only 1-2, filiform, tubular, shorter than stem, with scarcely margined basal sheaths with rounded auricles. Terminal flowering head, 3-8-flowered, whitish with pale to somewhat brownish bracts, the lowest slightly to much exceeding the flowering head. Flowers (4-) 5-6 mm long; perianth segments ± linear, obtuse, membranous. Stamens 6, exserted; anthers c. 2 mm long, linear-oblong. Capsules oblong-ovoid, 4-5 mm long, minutely beaked; seeds many c. 2 mm long, including tailed ends.