Rhizome either much branched and congested giving rise to short stems and long lvs in dense grass-like mats or less closely branched with longer, sparsely branched stems. Lvs c. 5–30 cm. × 0.3–0.4 mm., dark green, almost filiform and only slightly flattened; apex obtuse, often most minutely denticulate; sheath (1)–2.5–3.5–5 cm. long, auricles narrow. Peduncles to 50 cm. long, us. conspicuously thicker just below fls, becoming spirally coiled as fr. matures. Fls protandrous; carpels us. 8, occ. to 16, rarely < 5. Podogynes slender. Achenes (1.7)–2–(2.7) mm. long, asymmetric, brown; mesocarp thin; endocarp smooth, black, with 2 longitudinal slits opp. to and about on level of top of operculum; beak 0.2–0.3 mm. long. 2n = 18.
[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2.]
Flowering: Oct.–(Feb.); Fruiting: Oct.–May.