Carex inversa R.Br. APNI* Synonyms: Carex inversa var. major Boott APNI*
Carex inversa R.Br. var. inversa APNI*
Description: Rhizome long; shoots ± loosely tufted. Culms erect, terete, smooth, 10–50 cm long (rarely as short as 1 cm and enclosed by leaves), c. 1 mm diam.
Leaves shorter than culms; blade 0.7–2 mm wide; sheath dark brown, persisting as fibrous remains; ligule obtuse to rounded.
Inflorescence erect, 0.7–3 cm long, with 2–6 spikes solitary at nodes; lowest involucral bracts exceeding inflorescence. Spikes sessile, ± contiguous, spreading to erect at maturity, to 1 (rarely to 1.5) cm long; all spikes gynaecandrous. Glumes acuminate to obtuse, mostly short- to long-mucronate, whitish to pale yellow-brown (rarely orange-brown) with green midrib; female glumes 2–3 (rarely to 5) mm long. Perigynia (utricles) broad-obovoid to ellipsoid, ± strongly several-numerous-nerved, often transversely wrinkled between nerves, 2.2–4.5 mm long, 1.0–2.1 mm diam., densely minutely hispid on narrowly winged margins and beak, green to yellowish; beak 0.3–1.1 mm long, with apex split. Anthers 0.8–1.6 mm long excluding appendage to 0.2 mm long. Style 2-fid.
Nut obovoid to broad-ellipsoid, lenticular in cross section, pale to dark yellow-brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: West to about Cobar and Deniliquin. All regions except NFWP and SFWP; all States except N.T.; LHI, N.I., N.Z. Widespread in grassland and open forest (drier sites).
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP, LHI
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. W.A. S.A.
A variable species with the perigynia varying in size, rugosity, thickness of nerves, relative length of beak.
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Aug 2016)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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