等高薹草 deng gao tai cao

Rhizome short. Culms tufted, 30-60 cm tall, trigonous, smooth, clothed at base with dark brown bladeless sheaths disintegrating into reticulate fibers. Leaves subequaling culm, blades linear, 3-4 mm wide, flat, stiff. Involucral bracts leaflike, surpassing inflorescence, sheathless. Spikes 3 or 4; terminal spike male, linear, 2-3 cm, subsessile; lateral spikes female, cylindric, 3-5 cm, slightly loosely flowered, with erect short peduncles. Female glumes ferruginous, oblong-ovate, 3-veined costa excurrent into a mucro at obtuse apex. Utricles ferruginous, densely flecked, equaling glume but rather broad, patent, orbicular-ovate, much inflated, 2.5-3 mm, membranous, many veined, apex abruptly contracted into a very short beak, orifice entire. Nutlets loosely enveloped, orbicular or obovate, ca. 2 mm; style base not thickened; stigmas 2.

Watersides. Anhui, Jiangsu [Japan].