Flora of Victoria

Rhizome short; shoots densely tufted. Culms erect, terete to trigonous, smooth or scabrous, 3–10 (rarely to 20) cm long, c. 0.7 mm diam. Leaves exceeding culms, to 35 cm long, 2–3 mm wide; sheath yellow-brown; ligule obtuse to truncate. Inflorescence narrow, erect, c. 4 cm long, with 2–5 spikes solitary at nodes; lowest involucral bract exceeding inflorescence. Spikes sessile, contiguous, erect at maturity, 1.2–1.8 cm long; uppermost spike male; lower spikes female; glumes obtuse to acuminate, often long-mucronate (mucro to 2 mm long), whitish to pale brown with green midrib; female glumes 2.5–4.5 mm long; utricles 2–3.3 mm long, 1.0–1.5 mm diam., ellipsoid, prominently numerous-nerved, pubescent, pale green to yellow-brown; beak c. 0.5 mm long, with apex notched; style 3-fid. Nut obovoid to ellipsoid, trigonous, pale yellow, with enlarged disk-like junction with persistent style-base. Flowers spring–summer.

Brid, CVU, DunT, EGL, EGU, GipP, Glep, Gold, GGr, HFE, HNF, HSF, LoM, MonT, MuF, MuM, NIS, OtP, OtR, SnM, Strz, VAlp, VRiv, VVP, WaP, WPro, Wim. Also Qld, NSW, Tas. Asia, Pacific islands. Widespread and common in (usually drier) grasslands and open woodlands from near sea-level to the alps, but rare on heavier soils of Wannon, Riverina and Volcanic Plain regions, and absent from the far north-west.

The only Carex species in Victoria with utricles that are pubescent all over.

Source: Wilson, K.L. (1994). Cyperaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J. (eds), Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Updated by: Val Stajsic, 2018-07-24

life Life

kingdom Plantae

phylum Tracheophyta

class Magnoliopsida

superorder Lilianae

order Poales

family Cyperaceae

genus Carex

Higher taxa

species Carex breviculmis R.Br.

Victoria

**Source:** AVH (2014). *Australia's Virtual Herbarium*, Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, <http://avh.chah.org.au>. Find Carex breviculmis in AVH ; *Victorian Biodiversity Atlas*, © The State of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries (published Dec. 2014) Find Carex breviculmis in Victorian Biodiversity Atlas

Bioregion	Occurrence status	Establishment means
Lowan Mallee	present	native
Murray Mallee	present	native
Wimmera	present	native
Glenelg Plain	present	native
Bridgewater	present	native
Victorian Volcanic Plain	present	native
Victorian Riverina	present	native
Murray Fans	present	native
Gippsland Plain	present	native
Otway Plain	present	native
Warrnambool Plain	present	native
Goldfields	present	native
Central Victorian Uplands	present	native
Greater Grampians	present	native
Dundas Tablelands	present	native
Northern Inland Slopes	present	native
East Gippsland Lowlands	present	native
East Gippsland Uplands	present	native
Wilsons Promontory	present	native
Highlands-Southern Fall	present	native
Highlands-Northern Fall	present	native
Otway Ranges	present	native
Strzelecki Ranges	present	native
Monaro Tablelands	present	native
Highlands-Far East	present	native
Victorian Alps	present	native
Snowy Mountains	present	native

Bioregions of Victoria

State distribution

State
Northern Territory
South Australia
Queensland
New South Wales
Australian Capital Territory
Victoria
Tasmania

Carex breviculmis R.Br.

Short-stem Sedge

Victoria

State distribution