FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Carex glareosa, Lesser Saltmarsh Sedge (Gravel Sedge), Heigulstör

Carex glareosa; the Lesser Saltmarsh Sedge remains a low sedge because both leaves and culms nod down to the ground. It is a halophyte forming large tussocks.
  The leaves are soft, thin needle like up to 40cm long. The mid rib is sharply raised on the bottom side of the leaf and impressed on the top side. They turn down, nodding to the ground. The cespitose tussocks can be quite conspicuous.
  The culms are like the leaves soft and arching down to the ground, eventually lying on the ground. Concentrated at the top are a few (2-4) spikes, the top spike slightly larger than those below. The male flowers are on the bottom of the spikes, most or all on the top spike. The female flowers have two stigma's on one style. The utricles are short-beaked. The utricles/fruits are lens-shaped.
  Typically, it grows on saltmarshes but can occasionally be found along rivers in coastal regions. It prefers moist well-drained soils. It can be found all along the coasts of Iceland.
  It is a member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae). The Icelandic name of this species is Heigulstör. The name "glareosa" refers to gravel, in English it sometimes also called Gravel Sedge.