A. A. Reznicek

Plants densely cespitose, in large clumps, short-rhizomatous. Culms reddish purple at base, 90–180 cm. Leaves: basal sheaths sometimes fibrous; sheath fronts reddish or green, veined, herbaceous; blades flat to M-shaped in cross section when young, adaxial side with 2 lateral veins more prominent than midvein, widest leaves not more than 10 mm wide, glabrous. Inflorescences racemose, with 5–8 spikes; proximal bracts leaflike, long-sheathing, sheath 4+ mm, longer than diameter of stem; lateral spikes pistillate, with at least 100 perigynia in each, (30–)60+ mm or some spikes androgynous, pendent, pedunculate, prophyllate; terminal spikes usually staminate. Proximal pistillate scales with apex acute to acuminate or short-awned. Perigynia ascending, weakly veined on faces, with 2, strong, marginal veins, sessile, elliptic or ovate, obtusely and asymmetrically trigonous in cross section, base tapering, apex abruptly beaked, glabrous; beak 0.5 mm or less, erose-ciliate, bidentate, teeth less than 0.1 mm. Stigmas 3. Achenes trigonous, smaller than bodies of perigynia; style deciduous.

Species 5 (1 in the flora): introduced; Europe, w Asia, Africa.

Lower Taxon

• Carex pendula Hudson