披针薹草 pi zhen tai cao

Carex glandulifolia Kükenthal.

Rhizome short. Culms densely tufted, lateral, 10-15 cm tall, slender, soft, slightly compressed, smooth, clothed with purple-red long sheaths and short blades at lower part. Leaves longer than or equaling culm, flat, blades 6-7 mm wide, smooth, some sheaths bladeless; persistent sheaths dark brown, usually disintegrating into fibers. Involucral bracts sheathlike, without distinct involucral bract blade, only lowermost one with awn-shaped blade. Spikes 4 or 5, remote, basal one radicicolous; terminal spike male, usually not taller or slightly taller than adjacent female spike, linear, ca. 1 cm, 1.5-2 mm thick; lateral spikes 3 or 4, female, linear-cylindric, 1-1.5 cm, loosely 4-6-flowered; peduncles erect, usually exserted from involucral bract sheath; rachis strict. Female glumes purplish brown laterally, green at middle, obovate-oblong, ca. 3.5 mm, membranous, 1-veined, without white hyaline margins, apex emarginate, mucronate. Utricles green, longer than glume, oblong, trigonous, ca. 5 mm, membranous, pubescent, distinctly 2-veined laterally, not thinly veined, base attenuate into a long stipe, apex contracted into a medium-sized to long and conic beak, orifice 2-lobed. Nutlets brown at maturity, oblong, trigonous, ca. 3 mm, base contracted into a long stipe, apex attenuate, beakless; style base slightly thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Mar-May.

● Lax forests on mountain slopes; 1500-2700 m. W Hubei, S Shaanxi (Qin Ling).