Carex nigra

Ssp alpina: Dağ ayakotu; Ssp dacica: Rumen ayakotu; Ssp nigra: Kara ayakotu

Shoots single or laxly to densely caespitose; rhizomes often rather long, ± slender, sometimes absent. Stems 10-50 cm, rather thin, trigonous, scabrid above, ± erect; basal sheaths pale greyish-brown to dark reddish-brown, not keeled, usually with lamina , entire, usually not becoming fibrous. Leaves 1-3 mm broad, shorter than to c. equalling stem, rather dark green, flat to channelled, margins involute when dry, scabrid. Male spikes 1, narrowly cylindrical, to 3 cm. Female spikes 1-3, 10-40 mm, rather dense, narrowly cylindrical, overlapping or lowest somewhat distant; lowest bract usually slightly longer than its spike but shorter than inflorescence. Female glumes c. as long as utricles or often shorter, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, obtuse to acute, dark blackish-brown or purplish-brown, mid-vein usually paler, narrowly scarious-margined. Utricles greenish-brown when ripe, often ± purplish-brown above, ovate to obovateelliptic, 2-3 mm, plano-convex, veins slender, ± distinct or obscure, sometimes shortly stipitate, papillate above; beak short or obscure, truncate.

1. Small plants, 5-15 cm; rhizomes creeping; utricles distinctly veined subsp. alpina
2. Taller plants, usually more than 15 cm
3. Basal sheaths pale brown to greyish-brown; laxly tufted with long creeping rhizomes; leaves usually not more than 3 mm broad subsp. nigra
4. Basal sheaths dark reddish-brown, often aphyllous; rather densely tufted to caespitose, rhizomes short; leaves to 5 mm broad subsp. dacica