FLORA OF ICELAND elements: Carex rufina, Reddish Sedge, Rauðstör

Carex rufina; the Reddish Sedge is a low sedge growing in the highlands. Typically the culms are shorter than the leaves.
  The leaves sprout from cespitose tussocks. They are more or less bright green above and dull green below. Next, they are usually keeled, 2mm broad and are triangular pointed at the apex.
  The inflorescence is made up of a few (3-5) spikes concentrated at the top of the culms. These culms are quite characteristically shorter than the leaves. The male flowers are on the bottom of the spikes. Nearly all are situated at the base of the top spike but lower spikes may have one or two male flowers at their base too. The female flowers have two stigma's. The utricles are short-beaked. It is said that the bracts below the utricles have a reddish gloss; to me they seem dark-brown to black with a green midrib though.
  It is typically a plant of highlands and mountains. It grows on soggy grounds which are often water-fed by snow beds on adjacent hill slopes. They grow on other wet grounds as well.
  It is a member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae). The Icelandic name of this species is Rauðstör.

A rather similar species is Carex bicolor; the Bicoloured Sedge - alas no photo as of yet. This species is much rarer, mainly found in the highlands near glaciers. It differs in the lighter utricles, but foremost in the longer culms, exceeding the length of the leaves, which also bend horizontal.