Carex buxbaumii subsp. buxbaumii
Buxbaum's SedgeRhizome long. Culms erect, triquetrous, smooth below, scabrous above, 25–70 cm long, c. 1.3 mm diam. Leaves shorter than culms, 1.5–3 mm wide, grey green to glaucous; sheath orange- or red-brown; ligule acute, occasionally red-dotted. Inflorescence erect, 4–10 cm long, with 2–5 spikes solitary at nodes; lowest involucral bract shorter than to exceeding inflorescence. Spikes sessile, ± contiguous, spreading slightly at maturity, 0.7–2.5 cm long; uppermost spike with female flowers above male flowers; lower spikes female; glumes acuminate to acute, often long-mucronate (mucro to 1.5 mm long), red-brown to dark red-brown with paler midrib; female glumes 3–6 mm long; utricles 3.0–4.5 mm long, c. 1.5–2 mm diam., ovoid to narrow-ellipsoid, nerveless or indistinctly nerved, minutely papillose, pale green to greyish; beak minutely notched, to 0.2 mm long; style 3-fid. Nut obovoid to ellipsoid, trigonous, dark yellow-brown. Flowers summer.
VAlp. Also in NSW, ACT, Tas. Native to Eurasia, and North America. Known in Victoria by only 5 collections from near Cobungra, the Cobberas and nearby Rocky Plain (toward Wulgulmerang). In Victoria, it was first collected in 1854, and until it was recollected in 2023, it had not been collected since 1949. The species is likely to be more common but possibly overlooked. At Rocky Plain the species grows in wet depressions with Baloskion australe and Carex gaudichaudiana.
The origin status of Carex buxbaumii in Australia is uncertain. Possibly introduced with cattle that were depastured in the high country soon after settlement of Victoria. A distinctive species readily identified on the basis of its orange or reddish brown leaf sheaths, grey-green or glaucous leaves, sessile spikes, the terminal spike with female flowers at top and male flowers at base, lower spikes female, spikes with a shaggy look due to the awned female glumes, and the strongly papillose, pale green to greyish utricles. Close to Carex flacca, which also has grey-green leaves at least when young, and also has papillose utricles, see key for differences.
Wilson, K.L. (1994). Cyperaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 238–356. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning