Tussocks slender to robust. Leaves usually flat, erect or often curved to one side, c. 5–17 cm long, 0.8–1.5 mm wide, blue-green or slightly glaucous; basal sheath gradually tapering distally, remaining entire or becoming coarsely torn, whitish; apex obtuse or truncate, occasionally shortly acute or with a minute central point. Male inflorescence simple (rarely weakly branched), usually c. one-third to one-half as long as leaves; non-flowering axis shortly exposed above leaf-bases; female inflorescence a single globular cluster to c. 7 mm diam., subsessile. Bracts at the base of each cluster of flowers obscured by flowers, pale golden-brown. Flowers with outer and inner perianth yellow. Male flowers c 2 mm long; female flowers c. 3 mm long. Flowers Aug.–Dec.