Carex appressa —Tall Sedge—CYPERACEAE
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Habitat—Widespread in damp places, from moist rainforest floors to swamps. Distribution— All Australian States, Northern Territory, New Guinea and New Caledonian. Description—A sedge, rhizome short; shoots densely tufted. Local occurrences— Australis Resort,
Barrington/Gloucester Tops,
Black Head,
Black Head Flora Park,
Booti Hill,
Burgess Beach,
Burgess Road,
Cape Hawke,
Cellito,
Charlotte Head,
Darawank Nature Reserve and Wetland,
Diamond Beach,
Dixon Property,
Elizabeth Beach,
Great Lakes College-Tuncurry Campus,
Knappinghat Nature Reserve,
Ohmas Bay,
Reservoir Hill Reserve,
Sea Acres National Park,
Seven Mile Beach and Green Point,
Stephen Street Reserve,
Talawahl Nature Reserve,
Tiona,
Waitui Falls,
Wallamba River Area and
Zamia Place Reserve.
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Leaves.—Leaves shorter than to equalling culms; blade 2-12 mm wide. Culms triquetrous above, may be subterete below, scabrous above, 40 to 120 cm long, 2 to 4 mm diam. |
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Inflorescence—Erect, narrow, 4 to 45 cm long, compound, with numerous short spikes solitary at nodes or on appressed spike-like secondary branches to 3 cm long; lowest involucral bract very short. Spikes sessile, contiguous, erect to spreading at maturity, to 1 cm long; all spikes androgynous Flowering.—March to April. |
Fruit—Glumes acute, occasionally shortly mucronate, yellow—brown, occasionally with white margins near apex; female glumes 2 to 2.5 mm long. Utricles ovoid, with thickened truncate base, several-nerved, 2 to 3 mm long, 1.0 to 1.7 mm diam., hispid on narrowly winged or ribbed margins, greenish brown to dark yellow—brown; beak c. 1 mm long, with apex 2—fid. Style 2—fid. Nut ovoid Ripe.—August to September. |
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