Leaves are few in number and clustered near the base of the culm. Leaves typically form a tube around the culm. Only a small portion of the leaf expands to form a blade. The other bracts are shorter and less conspicuous. They are ovate, taper to a tip at the apex and possess a distinct midrib.
Bracts are greenish-brown turning to a wheat color with age.
Flowers number 15 to 36 per spikelet. The calyx and corolla are highly modified into bristles, which are variable in shape and number, or even lacking. Either two or three stamens are present. The ovary is flattened on one side and hemispherical on the other. The surface is hairless with horizontal lines or wrinkles.