Citation: L., Cent. 2.Pl. 6 (1756).

Synonymy: C. aristatus Rottb., Descr. Pl. rar. Progr. 22 (1772).

Common name: Bearded flat-sedge.

Description:
Annual, rarely above 15 cm high, sometimes only 5-6 cm, with a strong curry odour when dry; stems solitary or tufted, acutely triquetrous but compressible, smooth; leaves up to as long as the stems, to 2 mm broad, often flaccid, flat or nearly so; bracts 2-5, at least some longer than the inflorescence, spreading.

Umbel simple, with up 'to 5 rays to 3 cm long or reduced to a single cluster; spikelets usually in dense ovate or obllong-ovate spikes, or when fe nearly digitate, usually brightly coloured in various shades of brown or yellowish, linear or linear-oblong, flat, usually 4-12 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, 8-30-flowered, often deciduous as a whole at maturity; rhachilla not winged; glumes narrow, spreading and soon distinct from one another, with prominent spreading or recurved points or sharp awns 0.4-1.2 mm long, prominently several-nerved, 1.75-2.5 mm long; stamen 1; style branches 3.

Nut oblong-oblanceolate, obtuse-apiculate, long-cuneate to the wide base, 0.9-1.2 x c. 0.3 mm, bluntly trigonous, sides flat or convex, grey-reddish-black, with a shiny very faint transparent reticulate-papillose layer, base and pointed tip black, and one-third to one-half the length of the glume.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 163.

Distribution:  May grow in damp situations but also in relatively dry habitats. S.Aust.: NW, LE, GT, FR, EA, MU.   All mainland States.   Africa, Asia and the Americas. Conservation status: native Flowering time: March — July.

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