近头状薹草 jin tou zhuang tai cao

Rhizome slender, woody. Culms loosely tufted, compressed trigonous, 20-30 cm tall; sub-basal sheaths of flowering culms with blades; blades of vegetative culms narrowly linear, 40-50 cm × 3-5 mm, herbaceous, glabrous, acuminate. Inflorescence with spikes at nodes above middle; lowermost bract with sheath nearly equaling blade, upper branches with shorter bracts and sheaths. Spikes androgynous, single or binate at node, subcapitate, 5-7 mm, male part ± equaling female part, with denser male flowers and 4-7 female flowers; peduncles 6-8 cm, well exserted. Male glumes reddish brown, ca. 1.5 mm, 1-veined; female glumes ovate-oblong, ca. 2.5 mm, laterally reddish punctate, 3-veined, apex rounded. Utricles brown, broadly elliptic, ca. 4 mm, many veined, apex attenuate into an erect beak 1.5-2 mm, orifice 2-toothed. Nutlet tightly enveloped, ovoid, trigonous, faces concave, ca. 2 mm; style base slightly thickened; stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. Apr-May.

● Forests. Zhejiang.