Diagnostic Characteristics
The only species in Section Polytrichoideae: Spike single, terminal, narrow, few-flowered, androgynous or all pistillate; stigmas 3, achene trigonous or round in cross-section, not filling the perigynium; rachilla absent; perigynium 5 mm or less, green, ascending, elliptic, beakless; lowest pistillate scales small, not foliaceous, mostly shorter than the perigynia; leaves numerous, slender, pale green. Fairly distinctive in overall appearance: pale green plant with very slender leaves, filiform stems, and small, single, terminal, androgynous spikes.
Habitat
Typically in wet boreal forested areas. Spaghnum bogs, tamarack bogs, swamps (coniferous, mixed hardwood-conifer, and unspecified), moist to wet woods, wet meadows; often in calcareous places. Also listed from wet calcareous fens (Northwest Territories), shores (Alaska), stream banks (Indiana), damp areas at the base of cliffs or ledges (southeast, Missouri, Indiana). (Cronquist et al. 1977, Deam 1940, Fernald 1950, Gleason & Cronquist 1991, Godfrey & Wooten 1979, Hulten 1968, Porsild & Cody 1980, Radford et al. 1968, Steyermark 1963, Strausbaugh & Core 1978, Voss 1972)
Ecology
Tolerances inferred from habitat.
Reproduction
Staminate flowers above pistillate on the same spike. Cyperaceae are wind-pollinated with the exception of Dichromena. The inflated perigynium allows Carex seeds to float for long periods of time (2 days to over 12 months, depending on the species), and various species are also dispersed by ants, birds, and mammals (Ridley 1930).