Montana Field Guide

Short-rhizomatous. Stems erect, 10–50 cm with dried leaves at the base. Leaves basal and lower-cauline; blades 2–5 mm wide. Inflorescence of 3 to 6, ascending, overlapping spikes; lowest bract shorter than the inflorescence. Spikes: upper 1 or 2 male or bisexual with male flowers above, 10–25 mm long; lower female, short-pedunculate, 5–25 mm long, ovoid to cylindric. Perigynia ascending, whitish below, purplish above, glabrous, flattened, broadly ovate, 2.5–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm with a minute beak; stigmas 3. Female scales lanceolate, blackish with an indistinct midstripe, narrower but as long as the perigynia. Achene 3-sided, much smaller than the perigynium (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Moist to wet meadows, turf, often where snow lies late; subalpine, alpine, more common higher (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).