Common name: Greater Brown Sedge
Carex brunnea Thunb. APNI*
Synonyms: Carex hattoriana Tuyama APNI*
Carex gracilis R.Br. APNI*
Description: Rhizome short; shoots densely tufted. Culms erect, trigonous, smooth below, scabrous above, 25–80 cm long, c. 1 mm diam.
Leaves shorter than or equalling culms; blade 2–4 mm wide; sheath yellow-brown; ligule obtuse to truncate.
Inflorescence spreading to drooping, 10–20 cm long, with 1–3 spikes per node; lowest involucral bract shorter than inflorescence. Spikes short-pedicellate to sessile, distant, drooping to spreading at maturity, 1–3 cm long; upper spikes androgynous (only short female portion); lower spikes androgynous (male shorter than female portion). Glumes obtuse to acute, pale to dark red-brown; female glumes 1.8–2.8 mm long. Perigynia (utricles) ellipsoid, numerous-nerved, 3–4.5 mm long, c. 1.5 mm diam., white-hispid, pale to dark red-brown; beak c. 1 mm long, with apex 2-fid or split. Anthers c. 1.3 mm long excluding appendage < 0.1 mm long. Style 2-fid.
Nut ellipsoid to ovoid, lenticular in cross section, pale yellow.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in light-breaks in rainforest; north along coast from Clyde Mtn, extending farther inland to the Blue Mtns.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, CT, LHI
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Aug 2016)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.