Prairea: Answers to key questions in Sedges (Carex) of Saskatchewan, Fascicle 3, Flora of Saskatchewan by Anna Leighton leading to this species. The answers are in the order you would normally work through the key. 

	Stigmas 2; achenes lenticular. NOT [Stigmas 3; achenes three-sided, occasionally terete, though their shape may be concealed by flattened perigynia]
	Spikes 2 or more per culm, terminal and lateral; spike bracts present on lateral spikes; lowest spike bracts usually evident, often conspicuous, even in compact heads composed of densely bunched and indistinguishable spikes (except in C. maritima, C. chordorrhiza and C. microptera).  NOT [Spikes 1 per culm, terminal; spike bracts absent]
	Individual spikes distinguishable in an open inflorescence, or indistinguishable in a compact head; spikes in any one inflorescence alike in appearance due to their similar composition (i.e. all are gynecandrous, androgynous, pistillate or staminate), sessile.  NOT [Individual spikes distinguishable in an open inflorescence (densely bunched in C. bicolor); spikes in any one inflorescence either markedly different in appearance (with terminal spike staminate and lateral spikes pistillate), or subtly different in appearance (with terminal spike gynecandrous and lateral spikes pistillate), sessile or stalked.]
	Culms loosely to densely cespitose (occasionally mat-forming rather than in discrete clumps); rhizomes, if present, usually short with culms arising close together along them. NOT [Culms single, or a few together, well-spaced along conspicuous rhizomes or stolons.]
	Spikes androgynous, (lateral spikes occasionally pistillate in C. prairea); if heads have indistinguishable spikes, the heads are usually oblong to elongate in shape.  NOT [Spikes gynecandrous, (terminal spikes may be staminate in SK material of C. mackenziei; pistillate or staminate spikes occur in Sect. Stellulatae, a group distinguished by spongy tissue filling lower one-third to one-half of the perigynium); if heads have indistinguishable spikes, the heads are usually +/- as wide as they are long and usually widest in middle or toward base.]
	Spikes usually more numerous, mostly overlapping, and in some species indistinguishable in a simple or compound inflorescence; beak 0.3 mm long or longer.  NOT [Spikes 2-5, widely spaced along 1.5-3 cm of culm with only upper few clustered at tip; beak a tiny tube less than 0.25 mm long.]
	Inflorescence usually larger, if less than 2 cm long then leaves 2 mm wide or wider; culms in most species over 3 dm high.  NOT [Inflorescence small, 0.7-1.5 (2) cm long and to 0.7 cm wide, compact with indistinguishable spikes; leaves 0.5-1 mm wide; culms (0.4) 0.6-2.6 (4) dm high.]
	Perigynia body not translucent; lateral margins of perigynia not conspicuously green-margined except along beak in some species.  NOT [Perigynia body +/- translucent with brown achene showing through walls; lateral margins of perigynia green and conspicuous.]
	Distal portion of culm 0.5-1 mm wide (to 2 mm wide in C. vulpinoidea), firmly three-angled, not easily flattened; culm angles not winged.  NOT [Distal portion of culm 1.5-4 (7) mm wide, soft, easily flattened under pressure; culm angles with wide, flat wings.]
	Leaves 3 or 4 mm wide at most; dorsal (abaxial) surface of lower leaf sheaths not conspicuously green and white striped, if septate-nodulose then partitions between veins faint; plants more widely distributed.  NOT [Leaves 3-5 (8 fna) mm wide; dorsal (abaxial) surface of lower leaf sheaths conspicuously striped with longitudinal green veins against a white background and septate-nodulose with prominent partitions between veins; plants of moist, shady sites in southeastern SK.]
	Only lower bracts clearly visible, these to a maximum length of 1.5 cm; leaves shorter than or equal to culms; pistillate scales acute, acuminate or occasionally mucronate, not awned; ventral strip neither rugose nor thickened at summit.  Section Heleoglochin (C. prairea, C. diandra).  NOT [Bristle-like bracts visible throughout inflorescence, lower bracts 0.5-6 (13) cm long, often as long as or longer than inflorescence; leaves longer than culms; pistillate scales with awns 1-5 mm long; ventral strip rugose with thickened edge at summit.]
	Summit of ventral strip a copper-colored band visible with the naked eye; perigynia straw-colored to brown at maturity, dark brown with age, often entirely covered by scales that mask their color and shape except for the long stigmas; inflorescence pale brown at maturity; spikes and panicle branches loosely and somewhat irregularly overlapping (lowest often separate, occasionally remote)  in an elongate head.  NOT [Summit of ventral strip whitish with red dots not forming a continuous visible band; perigynia pale to dark chestnut brown at maturity, almost black with age, somewhat longer than scales which may be short and translucent revealing brown potbellied perigynium bodies; inflorescence dark brown at maturity; spikes and panicle branches closely and regularly overlapping (lowest occasionally separate) in a cylindrical head.]