Carex spinirostris

Detailed description

Densely caespitose, tufted, dark green sedge of high fertility sites in shaded coastal forest, lowland forest and forested offshore islands (especially within petrel colonies). Culms 0.1–1.2 m × 1.5–2 mm; basal sheaths dark red-purple. Leaves equal to or great than culms, 2.5–6 mm wide, double-folded, with keel and margins distinctly scabrid. Inflorescence of 4–6–8 spikes; terminal spike male, often compound, with female flowers intermixed in the secondary spikes; remaining spikes female with a few male flowers at the base, equal to or slightly longer than male spikes, 15–85–(100) × 3–4 mm, uppermost spikes closet set, shortly pedunculate, lowermost spikes rather distant, drooping on slender filiform peduncles; subtending bracts leaf-like, much longer than inflorescence, almost the same width as foliage leaves. Glumes equal to or slightly than utricles in length, bright red-purple, rather membranous, deciduous, lanceolate, subacute to almost emarginated, midrib extended as a long scabrid awn. Utricles 3–4 × 1 mm, triquetrous, fusiform, conspicuously ribbed with pale veins, margins smooth, pale grey below, above bright red and narrowed (often rather abruptly) to a 1.5 mm long beak; crura scabrid; stipe 0.5 mm long. Stigmas 3. Nut 2 mm long, yellow, yellow-brown or rarely light brown, oblong, trigonous.