Carex pyrenaica Wahlenb.
C. cephalotes F. Muell. in Trans. phil. Soc. Vict. 1, 1855, 110.
Type locality: "snowy summits of the Munyang Mountains, New South Wales". Type: MEL, Mueller; isotype at AK.
In thick tufts from an ascending rhizome. Varying from small compact cushions 3 cm. tall to luxuriant tufts 20 cm. tall. Culms (1)–5–10–(20) cm. × c. 0.5–1 mm., terete, smooth; basal sheaths light brown or grey-brown. Lvs , us. < culms, 0.5–1.5 mm. wide, involute at the base, flattened towards the tip and ± plano-convex, margins finely scabrid, tips obtuse to subacute. Infl. a solitary, terminal, androgynous, us. ebracteate, ovoid to oblong spike, (5)–7–10–(17) × 5–9 mm.; male fls , overtopping female fls. Glumes us. < utricles, ovate, acute, deciduous, membr., red-brown, midrib light brown, margins hyaline. Utricles (2.5)–3–4–(4.5) × c. 1 mm., plano-convex, elliptic-lanceolate, strongly reflexed when mature, smooth, glab., pale yellow-brown; beak c. 1 mm. long, red-brown, orifice oblique, membr.; stipe c. 1 mm. long, occ. absent. Stigmas us. 2, but occ. 3 in some fls. Nut 1.5–2 mm. long, oblong, smooth, biconvex in fls with 2 stigmas or subtrigonous in fls with 3 stigmas.
DIST.: N. Mt Egmont, Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. S. Mountains throughout, rare in Marlborough.
On rocks on damp slopes or in alpine bogs from 1,000–1,950 m. altitude.
Carex pyrenaica var. pyrenaica from Europe, Asia and North America has fls with predominantly 3 stigmas and distinctly stipitate utricles, while in the Australian var. cephalotes fls us. have 2 stigmas (though an occasional spike may have one or two fls with 3 stigmas), and the utricles in most specimens are very shortly stipitate.
The unispicate, ebracteate infl. distinguishes this sp. from all other N.Z. spp. except C. capillacea which has narrower lvs and shorter, nerved utricles.
