Carex raleighii

Rhizome long; shoots loosely tufted. Culms slender, weak, terete to trigonous, smooth, 25–40 cm long, 0.3–0.7 mm diam. Leaves shorter than to equalling culms, c. 1 mm wide; sheath pale brown; ligule rounded. Inflorescence erect, 0.5–1 cm long, with 1–4 spikes solitary at nodes; lowest involucral bract exceeding inflorescence. Spikes sessile, contiguous, spreading to erect at maturity, to c. 1 cm long; all spikes with female flowers above male flowers; glumes acute, orange-brown with broad white to hyaline margins near apex; female glumes 3.5–4 mm long; utricles 2.5–3.0 mm long, 1.0–1.4 mm diam., ovoid to ellipsoid, weakly several-nerved, slightly hispid on narrowly winged shoulders and beak, green to pale brown; beak 0.7–1 mm long, with apex split; style 2-fid. Nut ellipsoid to obovoid, lenticular, yellow-brown. Flowers summer.