Tufted annual, 3-10 cm. Roots fibrous. Stem trigonous, grooved, smooth. Leaves basal or subbasal, as long as the stem; sheaths to 25 mm, soft, grey or brownish grey, mouth margin slightly concave; blades 1-1.5 mm wide, keeled, folded, smooth, grey green, apex slightly scabrous. Inflorescence a globose head, 7-12 mm diam., lower part with several short branches, upper part unbranched, spikes on rachis and branches numerous, compactly spirally arranged; bracts 5-6, up to 70 mm, spreading; spike 1.5-2.5 x 0.8-1.5 mm, with 20-30 3-ranked, spirally arranged glumes; glumes 2-2.5 mm, lowest sterile, up to 2.8 mm, narrowly cymbiform, greyish brown, keeled, apiculate, apex slightly recurved. Stamens 1-2, stigmas 2. Nut c. 0.8 x c. 0.3 mm, bi-convex or plano-convex, ellipsoid or parallel-sided, finely reticulate.