Richardsonii: 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 3; achenes three-sided, occasionally terete, though their shape may be concealed by flattened perigynia.  NOT [stigmas 2; achenes lenticular]
	Spikes 2 or more per culm, terminal and lateral; spike bracts present on lateral spikes (except in Section Phyllostachyae), lowest bract usually evident, often conspicuous.  NOT [Spikes 1 per culm, terminal; spike bracts absent].
	Lower pistillate scales not bract-like or leaf-like but similar in size and shape to individual perigynia (up to twice as long as perigynia in C. magellanica ssp. irrigua).  NOT [Lower pistillate scales resembling green, leaf-like bracts much longer and wider than individual perigynia]
	Perigynia sparsely to densely pubescent or puberulent (in C. pedunculata pubescence represented by very short hairs scattered near tip; in some species of Sect. Acrocystis, perigynia may be glabrous or virtually hairless, but all members of this group have convexly 3-sided to terete achenes with tight fitting perigynia and a stipe-like base about equal to beak in length). NOT [Perigynia glabrous.]
	Perigynia usually less than 5 mm long but if longer, beak distinctly shorter than perigynium body; pubescence various. NOT [Perigynia 5-7 mm long with beak as long as or longer than perigynium body; pubescence on the perigynia dense, stiff and pointing toward tip]
	Achenes with +/- flat sides; perigynia loosely fitting achene and variously shaped in cross-section, densely to sparsely pubescent (faintly puberulent with very short hairs scattered near tip in C. pedunculata); pistillate spike bracts sheathing or sheathless.   NOT [Achenes convexly 3-sided to terete; perigynia tightly enclosing achenes and convexly 3-sided to terete, sparsely pubescent, (rarely glabrous in C. deflexa and C. rossii, pubescent only on ribs in C. tonsa); stipe-like base about equal to beak in length; pistillate spike bracts sheathless.  Section Acrocystis (C. deflexa, C. inops ssp. heliophila, C. peckii, C. rossii, C. tonsa, C. umbellata).]
	Beak up to 0.5 mm long and lacking teeth; lowest spike bract blade shorter than lowest spike. Section Clandestinae (C. concinna, C. pedunculata, C. richardsonii).  NOT [Beak 0.5-2 mm long, distinctly bidentate; lowest spike bract blade at least twice as long as lowest spike, and often as long as inflorescence. Section Paludosae (C. houghtoniana, C. lasiocarpa, C. pellita).]
	Pistillate scales acute, obtuse or rounded, awnless; perigynia 2-3.3 mm long with tapering base, visibly pubescent with white hairs; terminal spike staminate.  NOT [Pistillate scales abruptly awned; perigynia 3.5-5 (6) mm long with stipe-like base about half the total length, faintly puberulent with scattered, very short, straight hairs near tip (best seen in profile along edges); terminal spike usually androgynous, sometimes staminate.]
	Spikes separate to overlapping; pistillate spikes longer than wide, 5-16 mm long by 3-4 mm wide; staminate spike (7) 11-23 mm long; sheath of lowest bract 6-15 mm long, red-brown, conspicuous; pistillate scales as long as, or longer than, perigynia.  NOT [Spikes overlapping or densely bunched at culm tip; pistillate spikes globose to ovoid-ellipsoidal, 4-8 mm long by 3-4 mm wide; staminate spike 4-7 mm long; sheath of lowest bract 1-5 mm long, red only with age; pistillate scales half as long as perigynia.]