Family: Cyperaceae
Plant: A sedge up to 60cm high with densely curly stems.
Note: This is a rare plant only found in the Royal National Park.
Stems: 2 types of stem - erect stems supporting the male inflorescence and densely curly stems with female spikelets at their tips. The stems are covered with microscopic hairs.
Flowers: The male spikelets red-brown, covered with microscopic hairs and borne in dense terminal panicles on erect stems. The female spikelets solitary at tips of curly stems.
Flowering: September-October.
Leaves: Reduced to dark red-brown to black sheaths along the stems.
Fruit: Whitish to straw-coloured ovoid to globular nut with an elongated tip.
Habitat: Coastal sandy heathland and now only found in the Royal National Park.
Features: Densely curly stems. Microscopic hairs on stems and spikelets. Leaves reduced to sheaths along stem.
Name:
Caustis From Greek = burnt (referring to the appearance of its leaves)
recurvata From Latin = bent-backwards (referring to its curly branches)
hirsuta From Latin = hairy (referring to the hairs covering its flowers)
|
Type |
Sedge/Rush |
|
|
Flowers |
Form |
Irregular, Cluster |
|
|
Colour(s) |
Red, Rust |
|
|
Petal/Sepal No. |
- |
|
|
Flowering Month |
9, 10 |
|
Fruit |
Type |
Other |
|
|
Colour |
White, Yellow, Brown |
|
|
Other Features |
- |
|
Leaves |
Arrangement |
Absent/Reduced |
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|
Type |
- |
|
|
Shape |
- |
|
|
Length |
Tiny |
|
|
Margins |
- |
|
|
Attachment |
Stem-clasping |
|
|
Other Features |
- |
|
Bark |
- |
|
|
Habitat |
Heathland |
|