General:
Perennial, tufted herb from short, stout rhizomes; stems 15-40 cm tall, exceeding the leaves.

Leaves:
Sheaths purplish-red towards the bases; blades flat, 2-6 mm wide, the lower ones much reduced.

Flowers:
Spikes 2 to 5, the terminal ones with male flowers, the lower spikes 1 to 4, with female flowers, 1-2 cm long, short-stalked, erect, except the lowermost often spreading; bracts subtending the spikes sheathless, bristlelike to leaflike, shorter to longer than the inflorescence.

Fruits:
Perigynia egg-shaped, flattened, 3-3.5 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide, reddish-brown to purple, nerveless, the beaks obscure, less than 0.5 mm long; female scales lanceolate, nearly as long and wide as the perigynia, pointed at the tips, reddish-black, with light brown margins; stigmas 3; achenes 3-angled, 1.2-1.5 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 behringensis C.B. Clarke
Carex beringensis
Carex montanensis L.H. Bailey
Carex venustula T. Holm