General: Perennial herb from creeping rhizomes or stolons, extensively colonial; stem 20-75 cm tall.
Leaves: Basal sheaths brown to purplish-brown, cross-wrinkled, persistent, not or only somewhat expanded upwards, the uppermost sheaths usually bladeless; stem leaves few, usually 1 to 3, located below the middle of the stems, mostly borne near the bases, rarely one above; blades 0.4-2 mm wide, short to elongate, thread-like, folded throughout or triangular in cross-section.
Flowers: Spikes solitary, terminal, erect, at least some of them pendulous, appearing broad-based, egg-shaped-cylindrical and 1.5-2 cm long in flower, globe-shaped and 2-4 cm long in fruit; anthers mostly 1-3 (3.2) mm long; involucral bracts lacking.
Fruits: Scales blackish to greyish, the middle scales lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, appressed to ascending, the midribs not reaching the tips, more or less long and sharp-pointed or blunt, with narrow, pale margins or broad translucent margins, the sterile sc
Notes: Two, sometimes difficult to separate, varieties occur in BC:
1. Perianth bristles rust-coloured; plants stout, the stems over 1.5 mm wide at the bases; middle scales lanceolate, more or less long-pointed, with narrow, pale margins...................... var. chamissonis.
1. Perianth bristles white to tawny; plants slender, the stems less than 1.5 mm wide at the bases; middle scales broadly lanceolate, blunt, with broad translucent margins..................... var. albidum (Nyl.) Fern.
1. Spikes 2 or more, subtended by one or more leaflike involucral bracts.
2. Leaves narrow, elongate, folded or triangular in cross-section; involucral bracts solitary, shorter than the inflorescence...........................................E. gracile
2. Leaves mostly flattened, except at the tips; involucral bracts 2 or more with the longest equalling or surpassing the inflorescence.
3. Spikes crowded, the scales with several conspicuous ribs; perianth bristles orange-brown or coppery...........................................E. virginicum
3. Spikes loosely aggregated, the scales with single ribs; perianth bristles creamy-white to tawny.
4. Midribs of scales extending to the tips, sheaths green...............E. viridcarinatum
4. Midribs of scales not extending to the tips; sheaths blackish..........E. angustifolium
1. Spikes solitary, not subtended by leaflike involucral bracts.
5. Plants rhizomatous or stoloniferous, usually with solitary stems...............E. scheuchzeri
5. Plants without stolons or rhizomes, densely tufted.
6. Scales with broad, pale margins, the basal ones reflexed................E. vaginatum
6. Scales without pale margins, the basal ones not reflexed.
7. Perianth bristles pure white with silky sheen; plants 6-25 cm tall..............E. callitrix
7. Perianth bristles cream-coloured or yellow-tinged; plants 30-60 cm tall..............E. brachyantherum
Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat / Range
Bogs, streambanks, lakeshores and wet meadows in all vegetation zones; var. chamissonis – common throughout BC; var. albidum – infrequent in N BC, rare S to 51°N east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to WI, MN, ND, CO and OR.
