Carex disticha

Narrow-leaved, single-shooted herb.

30–90 cm high.

The stem is robust, scabrous near the summit, and slightly drooping when old. The basal leaf sheaths are dark brown. The rhizome is robust and creeping.

The length of the leaves ranges from shorter than the stem to as long as the stem. The leaves are 2–5 mm wide, compressed and erect.

The inflorescence is 3–7 cm long, irregularly spicate, brown and bears 10–25 spikes. The bracts of the inflorescence are 1–2 cm long. The lowest spikes are occasionally separated by an interval. The spikes are fusiform, brown or tawny. The highest spikes and lowest are typically pistillate and the spikes in the middle are typically staminate. The pistillate scales are maroon and acute. The perigynia are 4–5 mm long, brown, prominently veined and narrowly hyaline at the margin. The perigynia gradually taper into a moderately long beak. The beak is narrow and sparsely toothed.

The fruit is an achene that matures inside the perigynium.