Wilson, A new Australian species of Carex (Cyperaceae) 
573 
treatment as Carex species no. 26a, following C. hebes Nelmes, the species to which 
it is probably most closely related. The utricle is illustrated in Wilson 1994: fig. 71k. 
Rhizome long; shoots loosely tufted. Culms slender, weak, terete to trigonous, smooth, 
25-40 cm long, 0.3-0.7 mm diam. Leaves shorter than to equalling culms, c. 1 mm 
wide. Inflorescence erect, 0.5-1 cm long, with 1^ spikes solitary at nodes; lowest 
involucral bract exceeding inflorescence. Spikes sessile, contiguous, spreading to 
erect at maturity, to c. 1 cm long; all spikes androgynous. Male and female bracts 
('glumes') acute, orange-brown with broad white to hyaline margins near apex; 
female bracts 3.5-4 mm long. Utricles 2.5-3.0 mm long, 1.0-1.4 mm diam., ovoid to 
ellipsoid, weakly several-nerved, slightly hispid on narrowly winged shoulders and 
beak, green to pale brown; beak 0.7-1 mm long, with apex split. Style 2-fid. Nut 
elliptical to obovate in outline. 
Scattered on high altitude swampy flats; only one depauperate specimen known 
from a subalpine flat in the Snowy Mountains in south-eastern N.S.W.; also in Vic. 
and Tas. 
Close to C. hebes, differing in having taller but more slender culms, with the 
inflorescence longer than broad and usually with fewer spikes, the spikes 
androgynous, and the utricles smaller with a longer, narrower beak. 
Selected specimens seen: New South Wales: Southern Tablelands: Head of Tumut River, Mueller 
1972, Feb 1954 (NSW). 
Victoria: Snowy Range, Pieman Creek Plain, c. 10 miles [16 km] SE of Mt Howitt, Beauglehole 41172 
& Chesterfield, Jan 1973 (MEL, NSW); west bank of Livingstone Creek near Shanahans, 23 km SW 
of Omeo (direct), Scarlett 80-117, Mar 1980 (NSW ex LTB); Native Dog Flat, close to the Buchan 
River, alt. 1200 m, Scarlett 80-118, Mar 1980 (NSW ex LTB); below Red Bank Plain on the upper 
Victoria River, 28 km NW of Omeo (direct), Scarlett 80-119, Mar 1980 (NSW ex LTB). 
Tasmania: Near Gormanston, flood plain of King Riv’er, Blake 18402, Jan 1949 (BRl, NSW); 
Carr Villa, Ben Lomond National Park, Wilson 6462, Feb 1986 (NSW); Arm River Track, between 
Douglas Creek crossing and Pelion Hut, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Wilson 
8317, Mar 1992 (NSW, HO). 
Key to Carex species in 'Flora of New South Wales' 
Fitting the above species into the 'Flora' key to species necessitated several changes, 
so it was felt useful to present here a full, amended key to the species of Carex native 
or naturalised in New South Wales. 
1 Style 3-fid; nut trigonous 
2 Inflorescence of a single spike, less than 1.5 cm long 
3 Male part of the spike as long as or longer than the female part and not less 
conspicuous . 31. C. capillacea 
3* Male part of the spike from slightly to much shorter than the female part, 
always inconspicuous and usually the spike appears to be wholly female 
4 Spike 7-12 mm long, with many female flowers; lowest bract glume-like 
. 29. C. cephalotes 
4“^ Spike 4-5 mm long, with about 3-6 female flowers; lowest bract leaf-like, 
exceeding the spike . 30. C. archeri 
2* Spikes several to numerous; inflorescence 3-90 (rarely 1-3) cm long 
5 Spikes in clusters of 2-5 (or occasionally some solitary) at distant nodes 
