Japanese name: タニガワスゲ（谷川菅） Scientific name:Carex forficula var. forficula
[Overview]
A perennial 30–70 cm tall that grows along mountain streams and forms large clumps.
It has a short rhizome and does not produce stolons.
The sheaths at the base of the stem have no leaf blades, are dark brown, and bear fibrous netting.
The leaves are densely tufted and linear, 2–4 mm wide.
The stem tip bears 3–6 cylindrical spikelets 2–5 cm long; the terminal spikelet is male, and the lateral spikelets are female and erect.
The scales of the female flowers are blackish purple with a green midrib, and are shorter than the perigynia.
The perigynia are elliptic, 3.5–4 mm long, and taper into a long, pointed beak.
The margin of the beak has small teeth and is rough, and the beak tip is sharply 2-cleft.
