Carex flacca Schreb.
Rather stiff blue-green tufts; rhizome far-extending. Stems (10) -25-50 cm high, ± terete to ± 3-angled, smooth. Leaves 2-3 mm wide, < stems, double-folded to ± flat, stiff, often curved, rather harshly scabrid; sheaths dark brown, often bright red-tinged. Inflorescence 5-10 cm long, of 4-6 dark brown, pedunculate spikes, terminal (1) -2-3 male, rest female, often a remote lowermost spike on an extremely long peduncle from near base of stem; subtending bracts leaf-like, ± = or > inflorescence. Male spikes ± 3 cm × 1.5 mm; glumes narrow, obtuse, dark brown with lighter brown midrib not reaching tip of glume. Female spikes 2-4.5 cm× ± 4 mm, often male at top; glumes < utricles, oblong-ovate, subobtuse, dark purple-brown with broad, lighter green to brown midrib. Utricles ± 2-2.5 × 1.5 mm, obovoid to ± orbicular, often inflated, papillose, red-tinged throughout or green with red patches, beak minute, orifice truncate, dark red. Stigmas 3. Nut ellipsoid, trigonous.
N. Scattered throughout. S. Nelson - local; Westland - near Ross; Canterbury - Rubicon River, Lake Ellesmere; Otago - Maniototo County, near Dunedin. St. In damp or swampy ground, often near the coast. (Europe, N. Asia, N. Africa)
First record: Kirk 1891b: 448, as C. glauca Scop.
First collection: St John' s College, near Auckland, T. F. Cheeseman, Dec. 1883 (AK 96921, 96922).
C. flacca is well established on wet flats in some higher rainfall districts, forming dense, low, blue-green swards, at times of considerable area. Occasionally it is associated with Sieglingia decumbens, and is infrequent and localised in lower rainfall districts.
C. panicea was recorded for N.Z. by Cheeseman (T.N.Z.I. 15, 1883, 294) from "Vicinity of Auckland; Mahurangi". There are two sheets in Cheeseman' s herbarium (AK 97036, 97037) from Remuera labelled Carex panicea which, although immature, are still far enough advanced to be recognised as C. flacca.
