About Carex abscondita Mack.
Carex abscondita Mack. is a tussock-forming perennial plant that grows from a rhizome. Its leaves are green, flat, and smooth, with whitish sheaths. The lowest bract of this species has a sheath longer than 4 millimeters. The lowest spike has a peduncle, while the uppermost spike only produces staminate flowers. It is closely related to Carex digitalis, and is sometimes confused with that species. Compared to Carex abscondita, Carex digitalis has longer flowering stems relative to its leaves, wider staminate spikes, and often thinner leaves. This species is distributed across central and eastern United States, ranging from eastern Texas to southern Missouri, east to the Atlantic coast, and north to New Hampshire. It grows in moist forest areas, flood plains, shrublands, and swamps.
