毛果薹草 mao guo tai cao

Rhizome long stoloniferous, rather thick. Culms 30-60 cm tall, triquetrous, scabrous on upper part, with reddish brown and bladeless sheaths at base, sheaths later splitting into reticulate fibers adaxially. Leaves longer than culm, blades 3-5 mm wide, flat, rather stiff, scabrous on margins and adaxial surface. Lower involucral bracts leaflike, longer than inflorescence, not sheathed, sometimes lowermost one shortly sheathed. Spikes 5 or 6; terminal 2-4 spikes male, approximate, linear, 1.5-3 cm, ca. 2 mm thick, usually with 1-3 female flowers; remaining spikes female, distance 4-6 cm between 2 spikes, cylindric, 2-6 cm, 4-5 mm thick, densely many flowered, lax at base of spike, upper spikes shortly pedunculate, lower ones long pedunculate, slightly scabrous. Female glumes dark red-brown laterally, brownish at middle, lanceolate, 3.5-5 mm, membranous, 3-veined, margins white hyaline, apex mucronate or aristate. Utricles obliquely patent, broadly obovate, trigonous, 3-4 mm, membranous, white pubescent, pubescence rather dense on upper part, indistinctly veined, base cuneate, apex abruptly contracted into a rather long beak, orifice 2-toothed. Nutlets tightly enveloped, broadly obovate, trigonous, ca. 2 mm, apex curved mucronate; style base slightly thickened; stigmas 3, ± long.

● Wet places at roadsides. Anhui.

Carex miyabei var. miyabei occurs in Japan and Korea. It has male spikes usually without 1-3 female flowers; upper female spikes nearly sessile; female glumes oblong-ovate, without mucro or muticous at apex; and utricles hispidulous.