Plants cespitose, short-rhizomatous. Culms yellow-brown at base. Leaves: basal sheaths not or slightly fibrous, long-persistent; sheath fronts membranous; blades filiform, glabrous. Inflorescence a single spike; bracts absent; spike androgynous. Pistillate scales less than 10 mm, apex obtuse to subacute. Perigynia erect or ascending, obscurely veined, substipitate, obovate or elliptic, plano-convex, 3–5 mm, 1.5–2.5 times as long as wide, base ± tapering, margins acutely angled, apex gradually or abruptly beaked, glabrous; beak 0.2–5 mm, with abaxial suture, emarginate. Stigmas 2(–3). Achenes biconvex or, occasionally, trigonous, smaller than the bodies of perigynia; style deciduous.

Distribution

North America, Eurasia.

Discussion

Species 2 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Carex nardina