Leptocarpus R.Br.
Leptocarpus R. Br. nom. cons. : type sp., L. aristatus R. Br. of Australia.
Plants dioec. Male and female infls often dissimilar. Spikelets us. many-fld in both sexes; upper floral bracts imbricate; bractlets 0, or rarely 2 in ♀ (0 in N.Z. sp.). Tepals 6–(4), variously shaped. ♂ with 3–(2) stamens; anthers 1-celled; ovary rud., or 0. ♀ with 3 or 0 staminodia; ovary 1-locular, with a single, pend. ovule; styles 3–(2),free or united to midway. Fr. ind., or occ. dehiscing along one side. Rush-like, perennial herbs. Culms ∞, terete, simple (in N.Z. sp.), from a stout, creeping rhizome. Lvs reduced to persistent sheaths, closely appressed to culms. About 15 spp., mainly endemic to Australia, but 1 in Southeast Asia and 1 in Southern Chile. The N.Z. sp. is endemic.
Frequently recorded from Africa but see Johnson and Evans (Contr. N.S.W. nat. Herb., Flora Ser. 24–25, 1966, 23).
Edgar (N.Z. J. Bot. 6, 1969, 467–9) discusses the relationship of Leptocarpus simplex (Murr.) R. Br. with the N.Z. plant.
