Family: Cyperaceae
Plant: A tufted sedge up to 1m high.
Flowers: An erect to spreading inflorescence, 2-4cm long and 10-15mm across, linear in outline, terminal and subtended by brown, tapering bract that is shorter than the inflorescence. There are only a few spikelets up to 9mm long. The flower stems are erect, flat or convex on one face, 30-60cm high, up to 8mm wide and have margins that are rough to touch.
Flowering: September-March.
Fruit: Ovoid, pale to dark brown shiny nut 2.5-4mm long.
Leaves: Basal strap-like, 50-100cm long, 3-8mm wide that usually have a reddish-brown base and a straw-coloured tip.
Habitat: Common in dry sclerophyll forest and also found in heathland.
Features: Strap-like leaves. Bases of leaves usually reddish-brown. Few spikelets. Flower stems longer than the leaves.
Name:
Lepidosperma
From Greek = scale-seed (referring to the scales surrounding its nut)
laterale From Latin = pertaining to the sides (referring to its leaves)
|
Type |
Sedge/Rush |
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|
Flowers |
Form |
Irregular, Cluster, |
|
|
Colour(s) |
Rust |
|
|
Petal/Sepal No. |
- |
|
|
Flowering Month |
1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
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Fruit |
Type |
Other |
|
|
Colour |
Brown |
|
|
Other Features |
Hard |
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Leaves |
Arrangement |
Basal, Tufted |
|
|
Type |
Simple |
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|
Shape |
Linear, Strap-like |
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|
Length |
Very long |
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Margins |
Entire |
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Attachment |
Unstalked |
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|
Other Features |
Rough, Tapered-tip |
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Bark |
- |
|
|
Habitat |
Dry sclerophyll forest, Heathland |
|