Carex tasmanica

Rhizome short or long; shoots densely tufted. Culms erect, ± terete, smooth except just beneath inflorescence, (15–)20–70cm long but may greatly elongate in fruiting stage to 170 cm long, c.0.8 mm diam. Leaves exceeding culms but sometimes much shorter when culms fruiting, typically curled at apex, 1.5–1.7(–2.3) mm wide; sheath pale red-brown, minutely red-dotted; ligule obtuse, red-dotted. Inflorescence narrow, erect, 5–25 cm long, with 2–4 spikes solitary at nodes, the lowest spike often very distant from the rest; lowest involucral bracts exceeding inflorescence. Spikes sessile or shortly pedunculate, distant, erect at maturity, (1.5–)2–3(–4) cm long; upper 1 or 2 spikes male; lower 2 or 3 spikes female; glumes obtuse to retuse, often shortly mucronate, red-brown with paler midrib, sprinkled with brown or red brown striae; female glumes 2.2–3.5 mm long; utricles 3–3.7 mm long, 1.5–1.8 mm diam., ellipsoid, faintly numerous-nerved, glabrous, occasionally somewhat thickened, pale green to brown, red-dotted; beak 0.5–0.8 mm long, with apex bifid; style 3-fid. Nut ellipsoid to obovoid, trigonous, dark yellow-brown. Flowers spring.