Rhizome with slender and branched stolons. Culms laxly tufted, 30-60 cm tall, triquetrous, smooth, clothed with long sheaths at base. Leaves usually shorter than culm at lower part and longer than culm at upper part, blades 4-9 mm wide, flat, 2 lateral veins distinct, with shortly transverse septate nodes between veins, purple-brown long sheathed at base. Involucral bracts leaflike, longer than spike, usually not sheathed. Spikes 4 or 5; terminal 1 or 2 spikes male, linear-cylindric, 2-4 cm, pedunculate; remaining spikes female, oblong, 2-3 × 1-1.2 cm, subdensely many flowered, sessile at upper spikes, shortly pedunculate at lowermost spike. Female glumes dark yellow, lanceolate-ovate, 5-6 mm, membranous, green 3-veined, apex acuminate, mucronate. Utricles yellow-brown, obliquely patent, much longer than glume, oblong-ovate, inflated trigonous, 9-12 mm, thinly leathery, glabrous, several veined, base rounded, shortly stipitate, apex gradually narrowed to a long beak, orifice slightly long 2-toothed. Nutlets yellowish brown, rather loosely enveloped, obovate, trigonous, ca. 4 mm, base shortly stipitate; style thickened at lower part, persistent, slightly stiff; stigmas 3, rather short. Fl. and fr. Apr-May.
Home