Annual or perennial, 15-40 cm. Roots fibrous, reddish. Rhizome short, horizontal or ascending, with short internodes. Stem 1-2 mm diam., sharply trigonous, sides concave, smooth. Leaves c. half of stem length; sheaths up to 10 cm, usually distinctly reddish, soft, mouth oblique or, in leaves with blades, nearly straight; ligule 0; blades few, up to c. 15 cm, 2-3 mm wide, flat or channelled, margins and keel smooth, apex acute, slightly scabrous. Inflorescence a compound anthelodium, up to 90 mm; 1-2 bracts foliose, up to 70 mm, shorter than inflorescence; primary branches 7-12, up to 70 mm; secondary anthelodia 5-20 mm long, bracts glume-like; cluster of spikes 5-10 mm, formed by (1-)3-8 sessile spikes; spikes 3-12 x c. 1 mm, with 8-35 glumes; glume-like bract c. 1 mm, glume-like prophyll clasping, rounded, bi-nerved, sterile, c. 0.8; rachis c. 0.5 mm wide, tetrangular, reddish brown, internodes c. 1 mm, not clearly winged; glumes 1.3-1.6 mm, cymbiform, acute, slightly keeled near slightly recurved and barbed apex, sides brown or reddish-brown, obscurely bi-nerved, glossy, margins narrowly scarious. Stamens 3. Nut 1-1.4 x 0.8-1 mm, obovoid or ellipsoid, trigonous, white-reticulate or white-papillose.