473.
Carex
filifolia
Nuttall, Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 204. 1818.
Culms round or trigonous, filiform, wiry, angles proximal to spike blunt or sharp, 5—35 cm, shorter than or longer than leaves. Leaves: basal leaf sheaths fibrillose when old; blades yellow-green or bright green, involute-cylindric, quill-shaped, 6—25 cm, 0.3—0.7 mm wide near base. Spike 7—30 × 3—7 mm, staminate portion 4—14 mm. Proximal pistillate scales pale red-brown with white or gold margins, broadly obovate, 2.3—4.5(—6.5) × 1.7—4 mm, shorter or longer than perigynia, apex obtuse to short-awned. Staminate scales red-brown with broad, white margins, broadly obovate, apex obtuse. Perigynia (2—)5—18, appressed to ascending, white to gold, obovate to orbiculate, 1.9—4.8 × 1.3—2 mm, body conspicuously hirsute or pubescent, at least distal 1/4 (occasionally only proximal to beak); beak 0—0.8 mm, style base often conspicuously exserted from beak; rachilla present. Achenes obovate to elliptic, 1.5—3.3 × 1.1—1.9 mm. Stigmas ± black.
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): North America.
