西畴薹草 xi chou tai cao

Rhizome ligneous, obliquely ascending. Culms densely tufted, 40-100 cm tall, 1.5-2 mm thick, triquetrous. Leaves slightly shorter than culm, flat, 4-5 mm wide, stiff, scabrous on upper part and margins, abaxial surface cinereous, densely papillate. Involucral bracts green or brown, spathelike, involucral bract blades setaceous. Spikes 4 or 5, rather remote; terminal spike male, cylindric, 4-5 cm, ca. 3 mm thick, peduncle ca. 4 cm, taller than adjacent female spike; lateral spikes female, linear-cylindric, 2-2.5 cm, ca. 3 mm thick, densely many flowered, peduncles slender, ± long exserted from involucral bract sheath. Female glumes brown punctate on upper part, yellow-green on lower part, oblong, ca. 3 mm, membranous, 1-veined, apex rounded, mucronate. Utricles oblong, obtusely trigonous, ca. 3 mm, papery, densely hispidulous, several veined, base attenuate into a short stipe, apex contracted into a recurved short beak, orifice emarginate. Nutlets oblong, trigonous, ca. 2 mm, base shortly stipitate, apex rounded; style recurved, base inflated; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Mar-Apr.

● Rock crevices on mountain slopes, forests; 700-1700 m. SE Yunnan (Funing, Xichou).