General:
Perennial, tufted herb from creeping rhizomes; stems 5-20 cm tall, equalling to slightly longer than the leaves.

Leaves:
Sheaths with longitudinal lines on the outer sides, blunt at the mouths, with short ligules; blades 5 to 9 per stem, in-rolled, thread-like, borne on the lower 1/4 of the stems, 0.3-0.5 mm wide, the lower ones lacking or reduced to scales.

Flowers:
Spikes solitary, with both female and male flowers, the few male flowers towards the tips, the spikes broadly egg-shaped, 10-15 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, erect; bractless.

Fruits:
Perigynia egg-shaped, 4.5-5 mm long, 1.8-2.3 mm wide, straw-coloured or brown, inflated, smooth, shiny, membranaceous, nerveless, short-stalked, the beaks short, bidentate; female scales egg-shaped, usually slightly shorter than the perigynia, sharp-pointed or awned, reddish-brown, brown or straw-coloured, the centres lighter, the margins translucent; stigmas 3; achenes 3-angled, 1.2-1.5 mm long.

Notes:
Further study may indicate that this species is better treated as a variety of C. breweri.

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

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Carex breweri Boott
Carex breweri var. paddoensis (Suksd.) Cronquist