冻原薹草 dong yuan tai cao

Rhizome short, woody, oblique. Culms densely tufted, 10-22 cm tall, slender, compressed trigonous, slightly scabrous, clothed at base with light brown sheaths eventually disintegrating into parallel fibers. Leaves equaling or shorter than culm, blades linear, 1-2 mm wide, flattish, sometimes involute, margins scabrous, apex acuminate. Lower involucral bracts leaflike, shorter than inflorescence, sheathing 1-2 mm, upper involucral bracts glumelike. Spikes 3-7; terminal spike gynaecandrous, rarely male, clavate, 1.4-1.8 cm; remaining spikes female, cylindric, 1-2 cm, upper 1 or 2 approximate, sessile or subsessile, lowest spike slightly distant, with long peduncle. Female glumes purple-brown, elliptic-ovate, 2.5-3.5 mm, margins white hyaline, yellow-green 1-veined costa excurrent into a mucro, apex acute. Utricles yellow-green or purple-brown at apex, longer than glume, oblong-lanceolate, compressed trigonous, 4-5.5 mm, membranous, hirsute, faintly veined, base cuneate, margins scabrous, apex gradually attenuate into a beak, orifice 2-toothed. Nutlets light brown, loosely enveloped, oblong, compressed trigonous, 2-2.5 mm, base with stipe ca. 1 mm; style erect, base not thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.

Alpine grasslands, rock crevices, cliffs; 2000-2400 m. Jilin [Japan, Korea].