Plants cespitose, short-rhizomatous. Culms red-purple at base. Leaves: basal sheaths not or slightly fibrous; sheath fronts membranous; blades filiform, glabrous. Inflorescence a single spike; bracts absent; spike androgynous. Proximal pistillate scales with apex obtuse. Perigynia eventually spreading, adaxial face veinless, abaxial face weakly few-veined, narrowly to broadly ovate, planoconvex in cross-section, 2–4 (–4.5) mm, base tapering, margins acutely angled, apex tapering or abruptly beaked, not glossy, glabrous; beak 0.3–1 mm, with abaxial suture, entire or bidentate. Stigmas 2. Achenes biconvex, smaller than bodies of perigynia; style deciduous.

Distribution

North America and Eurasia with austral disjuncts or vicariants

Discussion

Species 1–3 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Carex capitata

"shortened" is not a number.