Culms to 90 cm. Stigmas mostly 3. Achenes mostly trigonous in 1/2 pistillate flowers and fruits.

Fruiting summer. Meadows, screes, disturbed slopes, flood plains, stream banks; 100-2800 m; Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Yukon; Alaska, Mont.; c, n, ne Asia.

As defined here, Carex petricosa var. petricosa includes the Asian species C. macrogyna Turczaninow ex Steudel. T. V. Egorova (1999) stated that C. macrogyna has a staminate terminal spike, while C. petricosa var. petricosa has an androgynous terminal spike. In North America, C. petricosa var. petricosa has the terminal spike staminate or androgynous.

A report of the Asian species Carex stenocarpa Turczaninow ex V. I. Kreczetowicz from western Alaska is referable to this taxon.