General:
Perennial, tufted herb from short rhizomes; stems 10-30 cm tall, much exceeding the leaves.

Leaves:
Sheaths reddish-dark towards the bases; blades flat, 2-7 mm wide, the lower ones not much reduced.

Flowers:
Spikes usually 3, unstalked to short-stalked below, 0.6-2.5 cm long, the terminal one with both female and male flowers, the female flowers towards the tips, the lower 1 or 2 spikes with female flowers, erect; bract subtending the spikes short-sheathing, leaflike, about equalling or shorter than the spikes.

Fruits:
Perigynia egg-shaped, flattened, 2.7-3.5 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide, reddish-black, flat, the margins translucent, 2-nerved near the margins, the beaks short, less than 0.4 mm long; female scales broadly egg-shaped, about as long as and wider than the perigynia, pointed at the tips, reddish-black, roughly pimpled, with white translucent margins and tips; stigmas 3; achenes 3-angled, granular, 1.3-1.7 mm long.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia