HABIT	AN ERECT GLABROUS, CAESPITOSE ANNUAL (SOMETIMES BIANNUAL), 5-75 CM HIGH. ITS ROOTS ARE TUFTED, FINE AND NUMEROUS.
STEMS	ERECT, TUFTED, SLENDER OR RIGIDULOUS, GLABROUS, COMPRESSED, TRIGONOUS AND 0.5-2.0 MM THICK. THE BASE IS COVERED WITH RED-PURPLE, USUALLY ENTIRE AND NON-FIBROUS, LOOSE, OPEN LEAF SHEATHS.
LEAVES	THE LEAVES ARE AS LONG AS OR SHORTER THAN THE STEM. THEY ARE SUBCORIACEOUS, FLAT, 1.5-4.0 MM, BROAD, GREYISH-GREEN, NARROWLY LINEAR AND TAPER GRADUALLY TO A FINE ACUMINATE APEX.
FLOWERS	THE INFLORESCENCE HAS UMBELLATE SPIKES, SOME OF THE RAYS (USUALLY 3-4) ARE WELL DEVELOPED AND UP TO 8 CM LONG. THE SPIKELETS ARE STRONGLY COMPRESSED LATERALLY AND THERE ARE 4-7 IN EACH ULTIMATE CONDENSED UMBELLATE SPIKE. THESE ARE 1.5-3.5 CM LONG, 3-5 MM WIDE AND GREY-GREEN, STREAKED WITH CRIMSON.
FRUITS	NUTLETS ARE SHORTLY STIPITATE, OBOVIOID, BROADLY TRIQUETROUS, 1.5-1.7 MM LONG WITH THREE PROMINENT ANGLES AND THREE CONCAVE SIDES. THEY ARE DARK BROWN OR BLACKISH-BROWN, APICULATE AND GLOSSY.