二裂薹草 er lie tai cao

Carex tripartita Allioni.

Rhizome oblique. Culms loosely tufted, 8-20 cm tall, obtusely trigonous, smooth, slightly scabrous above, clothed at base with pale brown sheaths. Leaves shorter than culm, blades linear, 1-2 mm wide, flat or slightly involute. Involucral bracts glumelike. Spikes usually 3, upper 2 gynaecandrous, lower spikes female or gynaecandrous, terminal spike clavate, 0.8-1.2 cm, remaining spikes rather small, elliptic, rarely ovate, 4-8 mm. Female glumes brown, elliptic or ovate, with green midrib. Utricles yellow-brown below, dark brown above, longer than glume, ovate or obovate, plano-convex, ca. 3 × 1 mm, obscurely finely veined, base broadly cuneate, stipitate, apex gradually tapering into a smooth blackish beak, beak deeply cleft abaxially at orifice. Nutlets rather tightly enveloped, ovate-elliptic or elliptic; style base not thickened; stigmas 2. 2n = 64.

Alpine frozen soil. S Jilin (Changbai Shan) [Japan, Korea, Russia (Far East, C Siberia); Europe].