Perennials usually (25–) 35–40 (–65) cm tall, loosely caespitose, subglabrous; rhizome creeping, branched; stolons short, ascending. Leaves of sterile shoots usually 15–20 cm long, 3–6 mm wide; basal leaves few, intermediate between cataphylls and cauline ones; cauline leaves 3–5, usually 10–20 cm long, 3.0–5.5 (–7.5) mm wide, conspicuously overlapping, with upper ones sometimes exceeding inflorescence. All leaves almost glabrous, with papillose-serrulate margins; apex acute. Lower bract herbaceous, usually 2.5–5 cm long, shorter than or almost equalling inflorescence. Inflorescence many-flowered, ±nodding, later suberect, usually 5–7 × 4–5 cm; flowers borne singly or crowded in 2 (3–4)-flowered groups. Bracteoles scarious, ovate, ciliate, c. 1.5 mm long. Tepals equal, glabrous, lanceolate, acuminate, usually 2.4–2.8 mm long, deep to dark castaneous-brown; margins inconspicuous, paler (straw-) brown. Stamens 6; anthers (1.0–) 1.1–1.4 (–1.7) mm long; filaments 0.3–0.5 mm long; style c. 0.8–1.0 mm long; stigmas 1.0–1.5 mm long. Capsule oblong-ovoid, ±acute, shortly mucronate, dark brown, shining, ±equalling, or slightly longer than perianth; capsule segments (2.4–) 2.5–2.8 (–3.0) × c. 1.3–1.5 mm. Seeds ±ovoid, 1.1–1.3 mm long, c. 0.8 mm wide, brown; appendage to 0.1 mm long, fibrillate. 2n=12 [AL], fide A.-M.Lambert & J.Giesi, Inform. Annuelles Caryosyst. Cytogén. 1: 28 (1967).