Citation: Steudel, Synops. Pl. glumac. 2:12 (1854).

Synonymy: Cyperus vaginatus

Common name: Spiny flat-sedge, spiny sedge.

Description:
Densely tufted perennial, with a short stout horizontal rhizome; stems erect or spreading, 15-70 cm long, cylindrical or somewhat trigonous particularly at the top, rather prominently and closely striate; leaves reduced to thin membranous sheaths; bracts mostly 3-6, sometimes longer than the inflorescence, usually less than 5 cm long, very rigid and pungent, the margins incurved.

Inflorescence a dense head or with 1-4 shortly pedunculate globose heads added (i.e. umbellate) often proliferous; spikelets very numerous (very rarely few) in the heads, 8-20-flowered, usually rich-brown or pallid, linear to lanceolateovate, acute, 3-5.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide; rhachilla not winged; glumes tightly packed, with slightly spreading tips, acute in profile (thinner and less rigid than in C. vaginatus which they otherwise resemble), 3-nerved on the back and sometimes with 1 or 2 faint nerves on each side, shining, 2.5-3 mm long.

Nut ovoid or ellipsoid, acute, shortly cuneate to a wide base, 1-1.3 x c. 0.7 mm, trigonous, somewhat compressed, angles indistinctly ribbed and rather obtuse, sides convex, dark-brown, shiny base and tips ending in black points, about half as long as the glume; seed seldom produced.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 161.

Distribution:  Grows in wet places. S.Aust.: NW, LE, GT, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, SE.   All mainland States. Conservation status: native Flowering time: throughout the year.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available