Carex caryophyllea

Narrow-leaved, loosely cespitose, short-rhizomatous herb.

5–30 cm high.

The stems are often ascending, rigid and the upper part of the stem is slightly scabrous. The basal leaf sheaths are light brown or dark brown, and disintegrate into fibrous filaments.

The leaves are shorter than the stem, 1.5–3 mm wide, grayish green–dark green, and ascending.

The bract of the lowest spike is typically membranaceous, light brown, and extends into a 3–10 mm long green cusp. The sheath of the bract is 2–6 mm long. The staminate spike is short-pedunculate and clavoid. There are 1–3 pistillate spikes in the inflorescence. The pistillate spikes are 5–15 mm long, of different lengths, close to each other, and often short-pedunculate. The pistillate scales are as long as the perigynium (2–2.5 mm), acute, entire, light brown and the mid-vein is green. The perigynia are 2–3 mm long, ovoid, grayish green and eventually brownish, short-pubescent. The beak is short with a shallow cleft.

The fruit is an achene that matures inside the perigynium.