Apodasmia similis

Detailed description

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 × 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 4–6 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. 1 × 0.5 mm, triquetrous, indehiscent. Seed c. 1 × 0.4 mm, oblong-elliptical, golden-brown, surface reticulate, both ends apiculate, one end dark brown, the other, almost white.