Family: Cyperaceae

Habit: Grass-like herbs, sometimes rhizotamous, rarely scandent.

Main axis: Culms usually solid or chambered, 3-angled, triangular in cross-section.

Leaves: Leaves basal or cauline, typically 3-ranked, consisting of a closed sheath and a linear to elliptic lamina or sometimes reduced to just the sheaths; ligule rarely conspicuous.

Inflorescence: Inflorescence diverse in form, including a panicle, corymb, and globose heads of 1 to numerous spikelets, often subtended by a foliaceous bract.

Flowers: Flowers bisexual or unisexual; the perianth lacking or modified into few to many bristles or scales; stamens 1-3; ovary superior, the carpels 2-3, the style reduced or elongate, the stigma usually 2-3-branched.

Fruit: Fruit an achene, sometimes surrounded by and fused to the perigynium.

Seeds: Seeds one per fruit.