Apodasmia similis

Features

Dioecious, rush-like perennial herb. Rhizomes 3-7 mm diameter, covered in closely sheathing, imbricating, dark brown scales, 10-20 mm long, each enclosing a tuft of coarse brown hairs. Culms numerous, 0.5-2.6 x 1.5-2.5(-3.0) mm, densely packed, erect, sometimes with upper third decurved to more or less pendulous, simple, terete, glaucous, grey-green, yellow-green or red-green. leaves reduced to bract-like sheaths, these dark brown or maroon-black, regularly spaced at 70-90 mm intervals at the base of the culm, 10-60 mm apart higher up; margins entire. Male inflorescences, paniculate or fascicled, bearing numerous stalked spikelets; upper floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, mucronate, red-brown to maroon, margins membranous; tepals 6-4 more or less completely hyaline, the outer longer, brownish, the inner shorter, paler; stamens 3; ovary rudimentary. Female inflorescences fascicled, spikelets more or less sessile; upper floral bracts ovate, mucronate, > tepals; tepals 6, the outer keeled, lanceolate, acuminate, inner flat, smaller, more or less hyaline, more obtuse, mucronate; styles 3, united to midway, bright red to orange-red; staminodes 0. Fruit c.1x 0.5 mm, triquetrous, indehiscent. Seed c.1 x 0.4 mm, oblong-elliptical, golden-brown, surface reticulate, both ends apiculate, one end dark brown, the other, almost white.