Perennial, 7.5-20 cm. Rhizome c. 3 mm diam., horizontal, stoloniferous. Stem 0.7-1 mm diam., obtusely triangular to terete, grey-green, smooth or edges occasionally slightly barbed. Leaves c. ½ of stem length; sheaths 15-30 mm, grey-brown, with conspicuous nerves, disintegrating into fibres, scarious side brown punctate, margin straight or convex; ligule 0.2-0.5 mm, scarious, straight; blades 1-2 mm wide, rigid, slightly falcate, keeled and mostly folded, grey-green, keel and margins scabrous. Inflorescence a spike, 15-30 x 1.5-3 mm, fusiform or clavate, lax in lower part, greenish. Bracts 0. Glumes 1.8-2.5 x 0.8-1.2 mm, cymbiform, ovate, green, obtuse or acute with ciliate arista up to 0.6 mm, with three conspicuous nerves, margins widely scarious; utricles 2.6-3 x 0.6-0.7 mm, biconvex, narrowly obovoid or ellipsoid, yellowish to brownish, rather scarious, with several weak nerves, margins smooth or scabrous; beak 0, ostiole wide, somewhat bidentate, margins eroded; short rachilla within utricle, with one staminate flower and two scales c. 2.5 mm, one folded and enveloping stamens. Nut 2.3 x 0.6 mm, incl. style base up to 0.3 mm and stipe c. 0.2 mm, trigonous, fusiform or parallel-sided, reticulate with papilla in each areole.

Syntypes: Kumaon, 11-16000 ft, Duthie 3461; 6093; Gurwhal, Duthie 5016 (K!).

W. Himalayan slopes, 13000 ft; Distribution: From Kashmir to Bhutan and Sikkim.

R.R.Stewart (l.c. 97. 1972) has reported it from Kashmir, Sonamarg.