General:
Perennial, tufted herb from long rhizomes; stems 10-35 cm tall, arising singly or a few together, longer than the leaves, reddish-tinged at the bases.

Leaves:
Sheaths tight; blades 3 to 6 per stem, in-rolled, smooth, borne on the lower 1/3 of the stems, less than 0.5 mm wide, the lower ones slightly reduced.

Flowers:
Spikes 3 to 5, the terminal one stalked, 4-8 mm long, with male flowers, the lower spikes 2 to 4, erect, 2- to 6-flowered, with female flowers, long-stalked, the stalks 6-15 mm long; bracts subtending the female spikes tubular-sheathing, 4-6 mm long, bladeless.

Fruits:
Perigynia egg-shaped to elliptical, 1.7-2 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide, 3-angled, membranaceous, dark green to black, shining, finely nerved, 2-ribbed, smooth, the beaks short, cylindrical, 0.2-0.3 mm long, translucent at the tips; female scales egg-shaped and pointed to rounded at the tips, shorter than the perigynia, whitish to yellowish-green or pale brown, with greenish midribs and translucent margins; stigmas 3; achenes 3-angled, with thicker angles and concave sides, sharp-pointed, smooth, 1.2-1.4 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