Affinis C. pseudohumili F.T. Wang & Y.L. Chang ex P.C. Li, a qua utriculis superne puberulis, apice pubescentibus, squamis pistillatis atro-purpureis vel brunneis manifeste longioribus, nucibus obovoideis recedit.

China. Sichuan: Baoxing, Fengtongzhai Natural Reserve, from Sandaoniupeng to Yuanyanyao, roadside grasses, alt. 3400–3700 m, 9 Jul 2017, X.H. Xiong 1129 (holotype: ZM; isotypes: ZJFC, ZM).

Rhizomes short, woody. Culms central, caespitose, 6.5–20 cm tall, obtusely trigonous, smooth, base with yellow-brown or dark brown fibrous sheaths. Leaves almost equal to or shorter than culms; blades flat, 0.7–1.5 mm wide, margin slightly revolute, scabrous, apex curved or slightly circinate. Bracts spathe-like, shorter than inflorescence, base with 0.3–1.2 cm long sheaths. Spikes 2–4, upper ones aggregated, sometimes with lowest one exserted from basal culms; terminal spike staminate, oblong or clavate-cylindrical, 1.1–2 cm long, 1.5–3 mm wide, base with 0.8–1.2 cm long peduncles; lateral spikes pistillate, oblong or ovoid, 0.6–1 cm long, 3–3.5 mm wide, densely 7–15-flowered, peduncles erect, exserted from sheaths, 0.5–1.9 cm long. Staminate glumes obovate, purple-black or brown, 4–4.5 mm long, apex acute or obtuse, with pale yellow 1-veined pubescent costa excurrent into a mucro. Pistillate glumes ovate, purple-black or brown, 2.3–2.5 mm long, apex acute or obtuse, with yellow-brown 1- or 3-veined pubescent costa excurrent into a 0.5–1 mm long scabrous awn. Utricles pale yellow-brown, obovoid, obtusely trigonous, 3–3.3 mm long, membranous, obliquely patent, puberulent on upper part, laterally 2-veined, inconspicuously thinly veined, base cuneate and shortly curved stipitate, apex abruptly contracted into a ca. 0.3 mm long beak, orifice emarginate or obliquely truncate. Nutlets tightly enveloped, pale yellow, obovoid, trigonous, 2.2–2.3 mm long, base shortly stipitate, apex beakless; style base not thickened; stigmas 3.

The specific epithet ‘puberuliutriculata’ refers to the puberulent utricles of the new species.

Flowering and fruiting is in early July.

China. Sichuan: Baoxing, Fengtongzhai Natural Reserve, from Sandaoniupeng to Yuanyanyao, in grasses, alt. 3400–3700 m, 9 Jul 2017, X.H. Xiong 1128 (ZJFC, ZM).

Least Concern (LC). The new species is a common grass in the meadow of Fengtongzhai at an elevation from 3300 to 4000 m. Local animal grazing may have an impact on this species (IUCN 2019).

The new species is somewhat morphologically similar to Carexpseudohumilis in having hairy utricles, inconspicuous beaks and leaves curved or slightly circinate at the apex (Dai et al. 2000, 2010), but it differs from the latter in having pistillate glumes purple-black or brown, utricles puberulent on upper part and longer than pistillate glumes and nutlets obovoid. Herein, it is placed in sect. Clandestinae, which is part of the poorly resolved Hallerianae-Digitatae clade (Roalson et al. 2021).