Rhizome very short; shoots ± densely tufted. Culms erect, trigonous, smooth, 10–60 cm long, c. 1 mm diam. Leaves shorter or longer than culms, 10–50 cm long, flaccid, 2–5 mm wide, pale or yellowish green; sheath orange-brown, often faintly red-dotted, the apex concave; ligule obtuse to retuse, commonly red-dotted, appearing tubular (i.e. at the sheath apex, the margins of the leaf blade extend downwards, free from the ligular tube) at least at the base of the upper 1 or 2 leaf blades. Inflorescence erect to spreading, 7–18 cm long, with 3–5 spikes solitary at nodes; lowest involucral bracts exceeding or equalling inflorescence. Spikes pedunculate, distant, spreading at maturity, 0.5–3 cm long; uppermost spike male; lower spikes female; male glumes mucronate, 3–4 mm long, oblong-obovate, orange-brown; female glumes often mucronate, 2–4 mm long (including the mucro if present to 2.5 mm long), obovate, yellowish or pale brown with a green midrib and hyaline margin, often faintly red-dotted; utricles inserted at an angle of 75–90° to the stem axis and therefore strongly patent; utricles 3–4 mm long, c. 1.8 mm diam., obovoid to ellipsoid, few-nerved, nerves indistinct or distinct, glabrous, pale green, often red-dotted, usually obviously shiny; beak c. 0.8 mm long, with apex bifid to notched; style 3-fid. Nut ellipsoid to obovoid, trigonous, pale to dark yellow-brown. Flowers spring.
GipP, CVU, HSF, Strz. Native to Northwest Africa, and Eurasia. Naturalised in New Zealand. Naturalised in the Powelltown-Neerim and Trentham areas, where recorded from roadside ditches and other disturbed sites in damp to wet, tall forests.
