Montana Field Guide

Rhizomes deep. Stems erect, 30–100 cm, tufted. Leaves: basal and cauline; blades 3–6 mm wide; sheaths glabrous. Inflorescence of 4 to 9 well-separated spikes; the lowest bract equal to or greater than the inflorescence. Spikes ascending; the uppermost 2 to 4 male, linear; the lower female, 3–7 cm long, pedunculate, cylindric. Perigynia ascending, yellowish-green, lanceolate, veiny, glabrous, 5–8 mm long including a deeply divided beak, 3–5 mm long; stigmas 3. Female scales tan, lanceolate, awn-tipped, narrower and ca. as long as the perigynia. Achene 3-sided, smaller than the perigynium (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Wet meadows, often around ponds; plains (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).