This is a densely tufted, wiry plant with one-sided flower-spikes that are purplish when fresh. The leaves are hard and bristle-like forming a basal rosette. 

Very slender and wiry; leaves inrolled.  Slender stiff flower-spikes, one sided, purple when fresh, pale when old.  Lemmas very narrow and pointed. 

Good photos needed, showing the habitat and plant details. (RPR)

Thrives in poor soil and overgrazed areas. Often found on moorland and high ground and on heath grassland.

Flowers June to August.

Perennial.

Widespread and frequent in most upland areas of Britain, more local elsewhere.

Local in Leicestershire and Rutland and mainly confined to the Charnwood Forest area.

In the Flora of Leicestershire (Primavesi and Evans 1988) it was found in 28 of the 617 tetrads.