Erect perennial, stoloniferous and with creeping rootstock, tufted, 20-40 (-45) cm tall; stem fistular, terete, with basal leaves and 1-2 cauline leaves. Leaves usually not exceeding the stem, subrigid, setaceous-canaliculate, 1.5-2 mm broad, ± green, usually long-acuminate; sheaths brownish, with short rounded auricles. Inflorescence of 2-5, seemingly superposed to subcorymbosely congested heads, each usually with 3 or 6 flowers, brown; lowest bract equalling to exceeding the heads. Flowers (5-) 6-8 mm long, shortly pediceled or subsessile; perianth segments lanceolate, subequal, inner slightly longer, sub-obtuse, outer acute, brownish. Stamens slightly shorter than perianth; anthers c. as long as the filaments. Capsules 5-9 x 2-2.5 mm, oblong-ovate, conic above, with a beak upto 2 mm long, dark reddish-brown, many seeded; seeds c. 4 mm long, including long whitish tails at the ends.