Kobresia robusta var. sargentiana (Hemsley) Kükenthal; K. sargentiana Hemsley.

Rhizomes short or obliquely elongated and rarely stoloniferous, thick, woody. Basal sheaths prominent and persistent, yellow to yellowish brown, slightly shiny, to 5 cm, not retaining dried leaf blades. Culms tufted, erect or curved, rigid, obtusely trigonous or subterete, 5-60 cm tall, stout, 1.2-3 mm in diam. Leaves basal, longer or shorter than culms; blade rigid, erect or curved, filiform, 0.7-1.7(-2) mm wide, margin involute. Inflorescence densely spicate, with ca. 10 spikelets, lower spikelets sometimes distant, very pale orange-brown, cylindric, 2-5 × 0.4-0.8 cm; terminal spikelets male, lower spikelets bisexual; lowest involucral bract glumelike, apex rounded. Bisexual spikelets with 1 basal female flower and 1-3 distal male flowers. Glumes yellowish brown laterally, with pale yellow to yellow midvein, broadly ovate, (7.2-)7.8-10 × 5.5-6.5 mm, midvein broad, 3-9-veined, margin very broadly hyaline, apex obtuse. Prophylls yellowish brown, utricle-like, broadly elliptic or ovate-elliptic, abruptly narrowed above, 6.5-10 × 2.5-3.5 mm, membranous, obscurely 2-keeled, keels smooth, margins free in upper 1/3 or almost to base. Nutlets grayish brown, oblong or broadly elliptic, trigonous, concave, 4-5 × 2-2.4 mm, very shortly beaked, stipitate, stipe ca. 1 mm. Stigmas 3. Fl. and fr. May-Sep.

● Sandy soils, herb-rich meadows; 2900-5200 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Xizang [?Mongolia].