China. Guangdong Province, Qingyuan City, Qingxin District, Bijia Mountain Forest Farm, 23°49′45″N, 113°03′07″E, 600 m elev., in the forest, on the rocks, 18 November 2022, Li Yali & Chen Hongfeng LYL0012 (holotype: IBSC; isotype: IBSC) (Figs 1, 2).

The new species is similar to Carexpeliosanthifolia F. T. Wang & Tang ex P. C. Li, but differs by having inflorescence branches racemose, single (rarely binate or ternate), one (rarely two or three) spiked, (vs. binate or ternate, one-three spiked), male part of spikes short-cylindrical or linear-cylindrical and slightly or much longer than female part (vs. just male part short-cylindrical and slightly longer than female part); style base thickened (vs. not thickened); beak short and slightly curved (vs. long and excurved).

Perennial herbs. Rhizome stoloniferous, woody. Culms lateral, trigonous, loosely pubescent, base with brown sheaths, 15–60 cm tall. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaves 1(2–3) tufted on rhizome node; petiole 15–25 cm long, folded, glabrous; blades narrowly elliptical, 18–30 × 2.5–5 cm, glabrous or scabrid on abaxial veins, replicate, base attenuate, apex acuminate; cauline leaves pale greenish-white with dense brown spots and short lines, spathe-like, pubescent. Involucral bracts spathe-like. Panicle compound; inflorescence branches racemose, 5–8 branched, single (rarely binate or ternate), 1 (rarely 2 or 3) spiked; peduncles of inflorescence branches tenuous, 0.5–8 cm long, densely pubescent; bractlets glume-like, ovate-oblong, ca. 3.5 mm long. Spikes bisexual, densely flowered, androgynous; spikes 6–15 mm long, male part short-cylindrical to linear-cylindrical, slightly or much longer than female part, with ca. 15–40 staminate flowers; female part with 6–25 pistillate flowers. Staminate glumes pale yellow laterally with dense spots and short lines, pale green at middle, ovate–lanceolate, ca. 3 mm long, membranous, 3–veined, apex acuminate; pistillate glumes similar to staminate glumes. stamens 3, filaments basally connate, 0.5–3 mm long, longer or remarkably shorter than staminate glumes; anther yellow, 1 × 0.2 mm, pollen 0.2 mm wide; perigynium pale yellowish-white with brown spots and short lines, horizontally patent, elliptical, trigonous, 2.6–3.3 mm long, membranous, glabrous, with many raised veins, base subrounded, apex attenuate into a slightly curved beak, ca. 0.5 mm long. Nutlets brown at maturity, tightly enveloped, elliptical, trigonous or base obliquely truncate, 1–2 mm long; style suberect, base thickened; stigmas 3.

Flowering from August to November. Fruiting from December to February.

The term “qingyuanensis” originates from the location where the type specimen was collected.

Carexqingyuanensis is known only from Bijia Mountain Forest Farm, Qingxin District, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, China. It grows on rocky terrain within the forest at an elevation of 600 m (Fig. 2A).

Currently, Carexqingyuanensis is only known from its type locality, Bijia Mountain Forest Farm, Qingxin District, Qingyaun City, Guangdong Province, China, which covers an area of 2646.11 ha. Based on the IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2022), the species could be assessed as Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU). However, at present, it is more appropriate to classify it as Data Deficient (DD) due to the absence of field surveys conducted on the populations of this species.

China. Guangdong: Qingyuan City, Qingxin District, Bijia Mountain Forest Farm, 18 November 2022, Li Yali & Chen Hongfeng LYL0013 (IBSC); Qingyuan City, Qingxin District, Bijia Mountain Forest Farm, 1 December 2022, Li Yali & Chen Hongfeng LYL0014 (IBSC).