Roots few, thick, hard, fibrous. Rhizomes ± thick, woody. Culms purple, lateral, 5-10 cm tall, with several cataphylls toward base. Leaves basal, distichous; leaf sheath 1-1.8 cm, smooth, not closed, margin narrowly thickly membranous; leaf blade 55-105 × 1.5-2 cm, apically gradually narrowed, flat, papery, smooth, margin and abaxial midvein apically serrulate and scabrous. Involucral bracts 3-5, leaflike, 2-5 cm, basalmost bract equaling inflorescence, basally closed into sheath. Inflorescence a corymbose panicle congested into a head, with few spikes. Spikes with many glumelike bracts, each subtending a pseudospikelet. Pseudospikelets ca. 2 mm, with 2 glumes, 2 male flowers, and 1 female flower; glumes lateral and opposite, cymbiform, membranous, keeled, connate on adaxial side, hispidulous on keel, each with a male flower, margin hyaline. Anther linear; connective apex slightly prominent beyond anther. Stigmas 2, longer than style. Nutlet olivaceous, shortly stipitate, subglobose, ca. 2 mm, both lateral sides angular, abaxial and adaxial surfaces irregularly longitudinally rugose, apex mucronate. Fl. and fr. Aug-Sep.

● Dry places on hills; ca. 100 m. Hainan (Lingshui).