喀拉昆仑嵩草 ka la kun lun song cao

Rhizomes short. Basal sheaths pale brown to brown, dull, retaining dried leaf blades. Culms densely tufted, dwarf, erect and rigid, subterete in lower part, trigonous above, (2-)3-15(-20) cm tall, 0.5-0.7 mm in diam. Leaves basal, usually shorter than culms; blade V-shaped in section, recurved, 1-2.5 mm wide, midrib not distinct abaxially. Inflorescence spicate (rarely compound), brown or dark brown, densely and broadly cylindric, 0.5-1.2 × 0.2-0.4 cm; lowest involucral bract glumelike. Terminal spikelets of inflorescence male, lower ones bisexual with 1 basal female flower and (1 or)2(or 3) distal male flowers. Glumes brown or dark brown, with pale midvein, ovate, 2.5-3 × ca. 2 mm, midvein narrow, margin very narrowly or not hyaline, apex obtuse. Prophylls pale brown at upper part, narrowly elliptic, ca. 3.3 × 0.9 mm, membranous, glabrous, hyaline at base, obscurely 2-keeled, margins connate in lower 1/4(-1/2). Nutlets brown or pale brown, oblong-elliptic, flattened, body ca. 1.5 × 0.9 mm, stipe ca. 0.5 mm, very shortly beaked. Stigmas 2. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

High alpine turf; (3100-)3800-5000 m. Xinjiang, Xizang [Afghanistan, India (Himachal Pradesh), Kashmir, ?Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan].

This is, perhaps, a western form of Kobresia pusilla, but it is also close to K. myosuroides subsp. bistaminata.