Like many medium sized sedges (C. pallescens grows up to 60cm tall) this one is found in damp grassland and boggy areas. It lives up to its name often being distinctly paler than other sedges. An identifying feature is that the lowest bract, which is often longer than the stem with the inflorescence, is crimped at the bottom - you can see this in the photo.

Common in Scotland, Wales and northern Ireland this sedge is less frequently recorded in eastern England and southern Ireland.