General:
Perennial, densely tufted herb from short rhizomes; stems 5-20 cm tall, with brown base.

Leaves:
Flat, sparsely fringed with fine hairs, 5-10 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, with swollen, callous-like tips, basal sheaths brownish to pale chestnut-brown.

Flowers:
Inflorescence solitary, unstalked, of 1 to 3 clusters, each with 8 to 15 flowers, the basal clusters sometimes on short stalks; perianth segments dark brown, 1.5-2 mm long, lanceolate, pointed, the inner about the same length as the outer; stamens 6; anthers 0.3-0.6 mm long, about the same length as filaments; bractlets strongly fringed, usually longer than 1/2 the length of the perianth segments.

Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped, longer than the perianth segments; seeds ellipsoid, 0.9-1.1 mm long, with minute appendages.

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:
Luzula arctica Blytt