Species: Carex rostrata

Beaked Sedge is a perennial, grass-like plant with a single or several round stems, 5-12 dm tall, which arise from extensive, creeping rhizomes. The leaves are 1-4 mm wide and have dense, microscopic bumps on the upper surface and inrolled margins; they are covered with a whitish, waxy coating that rubs off. Flowers are clustered in cylindical spikes which are 2-10 cm long and arise on erect to spreading stalks from the axils of the upper leaves (bracts). The lowest bract leaf is as long or longer than the inflorescence. Male flowers are borne in 1-3 narrow spikes at the top, and 3-6 female spikes, ca. 1 cm thick, occur below. The glabrous, inflated, spreading, pale green to light brown, egg-shaped perigynium is 4-7 mm long and has a beak that is 1-2 mm long. The papery scales have needle-like tips and are about as long and broad as the perigynia that they subtend. There are 3 styles, and the achene is 3-sided.