棒穗薹草 bang sui tai cao

Carex capillaris Linnaeus var. ledebouriana (C. A. Meyer & Treviranus) F. Schmidt.

Rhizome short. Culms densely tufted, 10-15 cm tall, slender, obtusely trigonous, smooth, sheaths usually disintegrated into fibers. Leaves basal, ca. 1/2 height of culm or rather longer, blades 1-2 mm wide, flat, midrib and 2 lateral veins conspicuous, upper margins scabrous, sheaths rather short, usually dehiscent at lateral plane. Lower 2 or 3 involucral bracts leaflike, longer than subtending spike, rather long sheathed, upper sheath-shaped, nearly bladeless. Spikes 4-6, rather approximate; terminal spike male, oblanceolate or clavate, 6-10 mm, with short peduncle; lateral spikes female, ovate or oblong, 5-12 mm, loosely few to several flowered, with slender peduncle, erect or slightly pendulous. Female glumes yellowish brown, ovate, ca. 1.5 mm, membranous, 1-veined, margins white hyaline, apex obtuse. Utricles greenish yellow and yellowish brown at maturity, obliquely patent, longer than glume, ovate or oblong, obtusely trigonous, 2.5-3 mm, membranous, nerveless, base acute or obtuse, apex abruptly contracted into a short beak, orifice truncate and white hyaline on margins. Nutlets dark brown, tightly enveloped, obovate, trigonous, ca. 1.5 mm, base acute, apex mucronate; style short; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.

Marsh meadows, wet places on mountain slopes; ca. 2400 m. Xizang [N Mongolia, Russia].