Schoenoplectus pungens (Vahl) Palla

Rhizomes often vertical, 1–6 mm diam., firm to hard; scales shorter to longer than internodes, disintegrating to fibers. Culms sharply trigonous, sides convex to concave proximally, deeply concave to flat distally, 0.1–2 m × 1–6 mm, smooth. Leaves basal; sheath fronts membranous distally, orifice adaxially truncate to concave, often splitting; ligules 2-fid, 1 mm; blades 2–6, proximally V-shaped, distally trigonous to asymmetrically laterally flattened in cross section, angles often scabridulous distally; distal blade (1–)2–5 times as long as sheath, 50–750 × 2–9 mm. Inflorescences capitate; proximal bract usually erect, resembling leaf blade but trigonous proximally, (1–)3–20 cm. Spikelets 1–5(–10), 5–23 × 3–5(–7) mm; scales bright (to very dark) orange-, red-brown, or purplish brown to straw-colored, often prominently lineolate-spotted, midrib mostly paler, ovate, 3.5–6 × 2–3 mm, smooth or awn sparsely spinulose, margins deciduously ciliolate, flanks ribless except sometimes proximal scales, midrib prominent, apex acute (to obtuse), 2-fid, notch (0.3–)0.5–1 mm deep, awn mostly irregularly bent, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) mm. Flowers: perianth members 4–8, sometimes fewer, brown, bristlelike, variably slender to stout, equal or unequal, all equaling achene body to all rudimentary, retrorsely spinulose; anthers 2–3 mm; styles 2–3-fid. Achenes brown, biconvex to compressed bluntly trigonous, obovoid to obpyriform, (2–)2.5–3.5 × 1.3–2.3 mm; beak 0.1–0.5 mm. 2n = 74, 78.

It is a temperate plant. It grows from sea level to 1,400 m above sea level.

The seeds are parched and ground into flour and used in porridge.