Japanese sedge

Carex kobomugi is a low-growing sedge that extends along the ground with thick rhizomes. It produces flowering stems up to 30 centimetres (12 in) tall and 3–4 millimetres (0.12–0.16 in) in diameter, with male and female flowers generally produced on different plants (dioecious). The leaves are 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) wide, and longer than the stems, and the lowest bracts are similar to the leaves. Male inflorescences are 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long and around 12 mm (0.47 in) wide, whereas the female inflorescences are slightly larger, 40–60 mm (1.6–2.4 in) long and around 30 mm (1.2 in) wide.

Carex kobomugi inhabits sand dunes and other sandy sites along the coast. Its natural distribution extends along the coast of mainland Asia from China's Heilongjiang province, around the Korean Peninsula, and around the Yellow Sea as far south as Zhejiang province. It also occurs around the four main Japanese islands, and Taiwan, which is the southernmost distribution of the sedge.