毛薹草 mao tai cao

Carex koidzumii Honda var. fuscata (Ohwi) Ohwi; C. lasiocarpa var. fuscata Ohwi.

Rhizome stoloniferous. Culms laxly tufted, 50-100 cm tall, obtusely trigonous, stiff, slightly scabrous on upper part, with red-brown and bladeless sheaths at base, sheaths later splitting into reticulate fibers. Leaves shorter than or nearly equaling culm, blades 1-2 mm wide, involute on margins, slightly plicate, stiff, with transverse septate nodes between veins, rather long sheathed. Involucral bracts leafy, linear, nearly equaling or slightly longer than inflorescence, lower involucral bracts up to 5 mm sheathed, upper involucral bracts nearly not sheathed. Spikes 3-5; terminal 1-3 spikes male, approximate, linear-cylindric, 2-3 cm, subsessile; remaining spikes female, remote, ovate or oblong-cylindric, 1.5-3 cm, 5-6 mm thick, densely many flowered, shortly pedunculate, upper ones subsessile. Female glumes brown or red-brown laterally, green at middle, oblong-ovate or lanceolate, 4.5-5 mm, membranous, 3-veined, apex acuminate, mucronate. Utricles yellow-green, obliquely patent, slightly shorter than or nearly equaling glume, ovate or oblong-ovate, slightly inflated trigonous, 4-5 mm, leathery, densely brownish gray tomentose, indistinctly veined, base obtusely rounded, apex gradually narrowed to a slightly broad and short beak, orifice slightly recurved 2-toothed. Nutlets rather tightly enveloped, obovate, trigonous, ca. 2 mm, base shortly stipitate; style short, usually curved, base not thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Jun-Jul.

Swamps or meadow moors. Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol [Korea, Mongolia, Russia; Europe, North America].

The stems and leaves are used for making paper and rope.