The broad, straplike leaf of Cymophyllus, apparently lacking a midvein, sheath, and ligule and with finely undulate margins, is unique in Cyperaceae. This southern Appalachian endemic (R. B. Clarkson 1962) is presumably a relict, sharing the same ancestry as Carex, and has evolved the flat, “blade” of its leaf from an expanded bladeless sheath (A. A. Reznicek 1989). Both the morphology of the inflorescence and preliminary observations (W. W. Thomas 1984b) suggest the plant is entomophilous. Some individuals in populations are protandrous, and others are protogynous, but details of the reproductive biology of this species are unknown. Cymophyllus is a striking plant with its broad, evergreen leaves and gleaming white inflorescences, and it is sometimes cultivated in woodland wildflower gardens.