General:
Perennial, loosely clumped herb with long rhizomes; stems triangular, smooth, except rough below the inflorescence, 15-70 cm tall, exceeding the leaves.

Leaves:
Sheaths tight, short; blades folded, arising mostly at the bases of the stem, 1-3 mm wide, the lower ones not reduced.

Flowers:
Spikes 3 to 4, 2-3 cm long, the terminal one with male flowers, occasionally with female flowers at the tip, the lower spikes 2 to 3, with female flowers, unstalked or with short stalks, erect; lowermost bract subtending the spikes leaflike, sheathless, with black ear-shaped lobes, exceeding the inflorescence.

Fruits:
Perigynia egg-shaped, 2-3 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, brownish-green, with 5 to 7 weak nerves on each side, the beaks short, up to 0.4 mm long; female scales egg-shaped, shorter than the perigynia, dark reddish-brown to black, with lighter 3-nerved centres and narrow translucent margins; stigmas 2; achenes lens-shaped, 1.1-1.6 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

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Carex acuta auct. non L.
Carex goodenowii J. Gay
Carex nigra var. strictiformis (L.H. Bailey) Fernald
Carex vulgaris Fr.