Japan Flora: Rhizomes densely to somewhat loosely tufted, the neck densely covered witli brown fibers; culms 10-50 cm. long, angled, scabrous; leaf-blades rather stiff, 2-4 mm. wide, the basal sheaths castaneous or brown; spikes 2-5, approximate or con­tiguous, the lower ones distant or rarely the lowest radical, the terminal staminate, clavate, 1-3 cm. long, the lateral pistillate, oblong or oblong-cyl in dric, 1-3 cm. long, the bracts short, loosely long-sheathing at base; pistillate scales obovate-elliptic, ferrugineous to castaneous, rounded-truncate and mucronate; perigynia 4-6 mm. long, fusiform, nearly nerve­less, pubescent, the beak very short with a 2-toothed apex; stigmas 3. Common in mountains.

Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu.

f. dueensis (Meinsh.) T. Koyama. A rather dwarf alpine phase, with short-creeping, sparsely branching rhizomes form­ing a loose tuft. Sakhalin, s. Kuriles, Korea (Utsuryoto Isl.).

var. stenocarpa Ohwi. Slender plant; perigynia long and narrow, long-beaked. Usually in shallow soil over rocks; occurs within the area of the typical phase, especially common in the southern part.