Perennial, 10-50 cm. Rhizome emitting tillers or short stolons. Stem 1-2.5 mm diam., obtusely trigonous or terete, grooved, smooth or scabrous along edges. Leaves ¼ to 2/3 of stem length; sheaths 20-50 mm, yellow-brown, blade-less, glossy, mouth margin slightly oblique; ligule up to c. 0.5 mm, line of attachment almost straight; blades 2.5-4.5 mm, grey-green, flat, flexuous or straight, margins slightly recurved, keel and margins smooth or scabrous towards apex. Inflorescence 17-35 x 7-17 mm, spikes grouped tightly together, lowest occasionally distinguishable, 8-18 mm; lowest bract often elongated; glumes (3.2-) 4-5 mm, widely cymbiform, acute, occasionally with mucro up to 0.2 mm, or obtuse, light-brown to brown, margins widely scarious; utricles 3.5-5.1 x 0.7-0.8 mm, fusiform, somewhat plano-convex, light brown or whole basal part colourless, scarious, from closed to half open; beak not clearly differentiated; stigmas 3, rachilla with (0-) 2-3 staminate flowers. Nut 2.4-2.8 x 0.4-1 mm, incl. c. 0.3 mm style base and up to 0.5 mm stipe, fusiform, triangular, light brown with 3 pale nerves, very finely reticulate with papilla in each areole.