FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Carex brunnescens, Brownish Sedge, Línstör

Carex brunnescens; The Brownish Sedge is medium-sized sedge growing up to 30cm tall. The culms grow from ground-based tufts.
  - Like many other sedges, the culms are sharply triangular. The tuft-leaves are relatively short. There are only leaves i.e bracts under the spikes. The longest is the one under the lowest spike which is about ½ to ¾ the length of the inflorescens. The bracts above are much smaller.
  - There are about four to seven spikes. The spikes have a few male flowers at the base. They are rather globose in shape and they have brown scales with membranous margins and light (yellow-)brown utricles. The flowers have two stigma's and the utricles have medium-short/long beaks.
  - It is quite rare and grows on rather dry soils.
  - The Brownish Sedge (C. brunnescens) is a member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae). The Icelandic name of this species is Línstör.

The Brownish Sedge resembles the Silvery Sedge (Carex canescens). It has darker (brown-)colored globose spikes where they are light-green and more lanceolate-shaped in the Silvery Sedge. The Silvery Sedge grows in wet bogs where the Brown Sedge prefers drier conditions.