Small tufted perennial with very short rhizome. Culms rigid, erect, ± convex on one face, flat on the other, ± striate, glabrous, smooth, 2–17(–25) cm high, 0.7–1.7 mm wide; margins minutely scabrous. Leaf-blades similar in form to culms, but usually more flattened and much longer (to twice as long as culms), 0.7–2 mm wide; sheaths straw-coloured above, dark yellow-brown at base, not viscid, ± dull. Inflorescence narrow-ovate to oblong in outline, 1–5 cm long, 0.5–1 cm diam.; involucral bract usually shorter than inflorescence. Spikelets few, 4.5–6 mm long; glumes 4–7, acute to long-acute, mostly mucronate, scaberulous, red-brown, the 2 or 3 lowest empty, shorter than fertile glumes, which are 4.0–5.5 mm long; hypogynous scales 6, yellowish, c. one-third length of nut. Nut ovoid to narrow-ellipsoid, grey-green to dark brown, smooth, shining, 2.5–3.5 mm long, 1.3–1.5 mm diam. Flowers spring–summer.
Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, MonT, VAlp. Also SA, NSW, Tas. Often in short alpine or subalpine heaths in exposed situations, but also in lowland heaths, woodlands and grasslands.
