Montana Field Guide

Densely caespitose. Stems erect, 20–50 cm. Leaves basal and cauline; blades 1–4 mm wide. Inflorescence of 3 to 8 sessile spikes, aggregated into an elongate head; lowest bract inconspicuous. Spikes 5–9 mm long, all similar; female flowers above male. Perigynia erect, light brown with green margins, glabrous, narrowly lanceolate, narrowly wing-margined, 3–4 × 0.6–1.2 mm, tapered to the 1.5-2 mm long beak, weakly serrulate to the tip; stigmas 2. Female scales golden brown with a green midvein, shorter and as wide as the perigynia. Achene 2-sided, nearly filling the perigynium (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Moist meadows, forest openings, shores of streams, lakes; valleys, montane (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).