Sedge-like or rush-like perennial herbs, either tufted or with a creeping rhizome usually covered with imbricated scales. Stems rigid, simple or branched, erect or flexuose. Leaves either few, radical, linear and sedge-like, or more often nearly or altogether reduced to convolute scales sheathing the stem; sheaths usually split to the base. Flowers diœcious, very rarely hermaphrodite, in spikes or racemes or panicles, each flower furnished at the base with a dry and rigid bract (glume) and sometimes 2 bracteoles. Perianth regular, of 6, rarely more or less, rigid or scarious erect segments. Male flowers: Stamens 3; filaments free or rarely connate into a column; anthers oblong, usually 1-celled. Rudimentary ovary occasionally present. Female flowers: Staminodia present or absent. Ovary 1–3-celled; styles as many as the cells, free or connate at the base, stigmatic on the inner side; ovules solitary in each cell, pendulous, orthotropous. Fruit either a 1–3-celled capsule-with longitudinal dehiscence or an indehiscent nut. Seeds 1 in each cell, pendulous, albumen farinaceous; embryo small, remote from the hilurn.

A small order of about 20 genera and 230 species, almost confined to South Africa and Australia, the only species found outside these countries being the three occurring in New Zealand, one in Chili, and one in Cochin-China. The species have no important uses or properties.

Spikelets many-flowered, panicled. Ovary 3-celled. Fruit 3-angled, dehiscing at the angles	1. Lepyrodia.
Spikelets many-flowered, panicled. Ovary 1-celled. Nut 3-acgled, indehiscent	2. Leptocarpus.
Spikelets few-flowered, female 1-flowered. Ovary 1-celled. Nut ovoid, terete, smooth	3. HypolÆna.