micro (G.) = small, + carpos (G.) = fruit. Referring to the small fruit of this species.
Vegetative parts: plants mat-Forming, 0.1-0.3 m tall, basal diameter 0.05-5 m, crown diameter 0.1-5 m, with rhizomes. Rhizome long and slender, culms isolated and widely spaced, 1.2-3.5 mm in diam., culms 30-150 mm apart. Fertile culms branching, round (not compressed), solid or with a small central cavity, smooth or finely rugulose, green or olivaceous, 0.1-0.3 m tall, diameter at base 0.4-1 mm, diameter at apex 0.2-0.5 mm. Branch axil indumentum absent. Clusters of sterile branches at the nodes of the fertile branches absent. Sheaths more than 1 per culm, persistent, with no abscission line, loosely convoluted, 1.3-3 mm long, margins entire, tan with scattered maroon speckles or light to darker brown with dark speckles, upper 1/3 in colour and texture similar to the lower 2/3, apical margins narrowly membranous, hyaline shoulders absent, apex, excluding the membranous lobes, acute or obtuse. Sheath-mucro penicellate, straight and erect, 0.8-2 mm long.
Males: male inflorescence with 21-50 spikelets or 50-100 spikelets, paniculate, 10-30 mm long, 4-6 mm wide. Male inflorescence spathes caducous, taller than spikelets (spathes are longer than individual spikelets but not very large), cartilaginous. Male spathellae inconspicuous or absent. Male flowers in spikelets. Male spikelets erect on stiff pedicels or sessile, undifferentiated, apex undifferentiated, 2.1-2.5 mm, 1.5-2 mm, with 3-5 flowers, pedicels shorter than the spikelets, terete or angular. Male bracts shorter than flowers, 1-1.4 mm long, oblong or ovate, obtuse or acute, margins entire, cartilaginous, bract upper margin like body of bract, bract awn minute or absent. Male flower 1-1.8 mm long. Male tepals sepals and petals the same rigidity, chartaceous, oblong or ovate (inner oblong and outer tepals ovate), inner tepals longer than outer tepals. Male outer lateral tepals conduplicate, glabrous. Anthers 0.8-1 mm long, included in the flowers.
Females: female inflorescence interrupted or linear, 10-60 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, with 6-10 spikelets or 11-20 spikelets. Female spathes shorter than the spikelets or as long as the spikelets or longer than the spikelets (spathes are small but generally as long or slightly longer than individual spikelets), not obscuring spikelet, persistent, cartilaginous. Female spathellae inconspicuous or absent. Female spikelet pedicel simple or pedicel sparsely branching, orbicular or undifferentiated, apex undifferentiated, 3-4 mm long, with 3-5 flowers, with 0 sterile bracts. Female bracts shorter than flowers, erect, 1.6-2.2 mm long, oblong or orbicular, rounded or obtuse, cartilaginous, apical margin like rest of bract, same as body of bract, margins entire, awn minute or absent. Female flower 2.5-3 mm long, without a fleshy pedicel, six tepals. Female tepals bony or cartilaginous (the outer tepals have a rigid midrib), glabrous and smooth, midrib raised, margins entire, apices acute or acuminate, inner and outer whorls the same length. Female outer lateral tepals conduplicate, hidden by bracts, or bracts are shorter than flowers, 2-2.8 mm long. Female odd outer tepal oblong, 2-2.8 mm long. Female inner tepals oblong, 2-2.8 mm long. Staminodes present. Styles feathery, 2. Style bases free. Ovary with 3 locules, dehiscent.
Fruit: seed (1.32-)2(-2.4) mm long, (1.16-)1.54(-1.8) mm in diameter, shape in side view ovate, shape in diameter elliptical in cross section, brown.