燕子薹草 yan zi tai cao

Carex prescottiana Boott var. cremostachys (Franchet) Kükenthal.

Rhizome short. Culms up to ca. 90 cm tall, acutely trigonous, smooth, clothed at base with dark purple-red bladeless sheaths disintegrating into reticulate fibers. Leaves subequaling culm, blades linear, 4-6 mm wide, upper shortly sheathing. Involucral bracts leaflike, very long, surpassing inflorescence, sheathless. Spikes 7-12, cylindric, 6-10 cm, densely many flowered, upper 1 or 2 spikes gynaecandrous, remaining spikes female, lower spikes with long peduncles, others subsessile. Female glumes pale red or pale brown, lanceolate, ca. 4 × 1 mm, ferruginous glandular, green 3-veined costa excurrent into a long awn. Utricles yellow-green, much shorter than glume, ovate, 2.5-3 mm, papery, ferruginous glandular, apex abruptly contracted into a short beak, orifice shortly 2-toothed. Nutlets castaneous, slightly loosely enveloped, ovate, biconvex, ca. 1.8 mm; style base not thickened; stigmas 2.

● Forests in valleys, shady and moist places; 3000-3300 m. W Sichuan, NW Yunnan.