糙叶薹草 cao ye tai cao

Carex pierotii Miquel.

Rhizome stoloniferous. Culms 2 or 3 tufted at nodes of stolon, 30-60 cm tall, rather thin, trigonous, smooth, scabrid on upper part, clothed with red-brown and bladeless sheaths at base, rudimentary sheaths ± disintegrating into reticulate fibers. Leaves shorter than or upper ones slightly longer than culm, blades 2-3 mm wide, stiff, longitudinally furrowed on middle of upper surface, scabrous and slightly involute on margins, rather long sheathed. Lower involucral bracts leafy, longer than inflorescence, not sheathed, upper involucral bracts scalelike. Spikes 3-5; terminal 2 or 3 spikes male, approximate, narrowly cylindric, 1-3.5 cm, shortly pedunculate or nearly sessile; remaining spikes female, slightly remote, oblong or subovate, 1.5-2 × ca. 1 cm, densely 10-15-flowered, shortly pedunculate or upper ones nearly sessile. Female glumes brown, pale at middle, broadly ovate, 5-6 mm, membranous, 3-veined, apex acuminate, mucronate. Utricles brown, obliquely patent, longer than glume, oblong-elliptic, inflated trigonous, 6-8.5 mm, subcorky, glabrous, slightly concave, several veined, base obtuse, apex abruptly narrowed to a slightly broad and short beak, orifice half-moon-shaped concave and shortly 2-toothed. Nutlets brown, tightly enveloped, oblong or narrowly oblong, obtusely trigonous, 4-5.5 mm; style base slightly thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jul.

Beaches or wet places in maritime regions or fields. Fujian, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Taiwan, Zhejiang [Japan, N Korea, Russia (Far East)].

This species is used for making rope.