Plants form small delicate tufts on short rhizomes and are up to 50cm in height.

Culm: Slender and unbranched. Sheaths are golden-tan coloured, loosely wrapped round the culm, dropping off and leaving distinct abscission rings at the nodes.

Flowerhead: In the male, there are numerous small, compact spikelets, partially hidden by persistent pale brown, papery spathes.

In the female, the spathes are very prominent, almost hiding the numerous small compact spikelets which are clustered at several nodes. The spathes are golden to slightly russet in colour.

The nutlet is triangular

Distribution: Cederberg to Port Elizabeth.

Note: Grazed by the Vlei Rat (Otomys irroratus), which fells the culms, cutting them into shorter lengths and eating the softer tissue above the nodes.

Latin: filum, fili = a thread, aceus = indicates a resemblance.