Plants loosely cespitose, long-rhizomatous. Culms brown at base. Leaves: basal sheaths fibrous or not; sheath fronts membranous; blades V-shaped in cross section when young, scabrid. Inflorescences racemose; proximal bracts bristlelike, sheathless; spikes 1–6, androgynous, often with only 1 or 2 staminate flowers, sessile, without prophylls. Proximal pistillate scales with apex acuminate or mucronate. Perigynia spreading, veined on both faces, stipitate, oblong-ovate, unequally biconvex in cross section, base rounded, with spongy tissue, margins acutely angled, apex rounded, beaked, glabrous; beak not more than 0.25 mm, with abaxial suture, entire, smooth. Stigmas 2. Achenes biconvex, almost filling bodies of perigynia; style deciduous. x = 35.

Distribution

North America, Eurasia.

Discussion

Species 1.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Carex disperma