Montana Field Guide

Densely caespitose. Stems erect, 5–30 cm. Leaves: basal and cauline; blades 1–2 mm wide. Inflorescence of 3 to 8 sessile spikes, loosely aggregated in an ovoid head; lowest bract shorter than the inflorescence. Spikes 4–8 mm long, all similar; female flowers above male. Perigynia ascending, brown, lanceolate, barely wing-margined, 2.5–4 × <1 mm, the beak, ca. 1 mm long, serrulate below, entire above; stigmas 2. Female scales medium brown with a pale midstripe and hyaline margins, hiding the perigynia. Achene 2-sided, barely smaller than the perigynium (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Moist meadows, turf, often on cool slopes; subalpine, alpine (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).