Carex wakatipu

Detailed description

Shortly rhizomatous; very variable in size, tufts dark green, reddish green or yellow-green. Culms 40–500 × c. 1 mm, subtrigonous, glabrous or occasionally faintly scabrid below inflorescence, sunk among the leaves or sometimes elongating far beyond the leaves and drooping; basal sheaths dark brown or red-purple, nerves ± distinct. Leaves 2–4 mm. wide, ± erect or spreading, channelled, margins scarcely scabrid at base with well-spaced teeth towards tip. Spikes 4–(6), closely packed, at about the same level on the culm; terminal spike male, much more slender than and usually > female spikes; female spikes male at the base and occasionally at the top, 10–20 × c. 5 mm, shortly pedunculate. Glumes slightly < utricles, broadly ovate, usually emarginate, sometimes almost entire, occasionally red-brown, usually very light brown flecked with darker brown striae, membranous, midrib very broad, very pale brown, produced to a short scabrid awn. Utricles 2.5–3.0 × c. 2.0 mm, plano-convex or unequally biconvex, broadly elliptic-ovoid, pale brown flecked with red-brown striae below, or darker brown throughout, occasionally almost black, turgid, nerved, margins usually glabrous; beak c. 0.3 mm long with a broad, ciliate, shortly bifid orifice; stipe c. 0.2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Nut slightly > 1.5 mm long, biconvex, almost orbicular.