Carex muricata L.
Dense tufts from a very short rhizome. Stems 15-40 cm high, rather stout, trigonous, scabrid on angles below inflorescence. Leaves ± 2 mm wide, usually < stems, ± flat, margins finely scabrid; sheaths light brown below, whitish above and hyaline on inner face; ligule ± 2 mm long, about as long as broad. Inflorescence 2-3 cm long, of up to 8 sessile greenish-brown spikes, all ± contiguous or the lowest not more than its own length distant from the next; bracts, if present, setaceous. Spikes androgynous, male flowers at top, or lower spikes entirely female. Glumes < utricles, ovate, acute, light reddish-brown with wide green midrib. Utricles ± 3.5 × 2 mm, ovoid or broadly ellipsoid, distinctly nerved in lower half, green, becoming dark brown, shiny, rather abruptly narrowed to a short minutely scabrid beak < 1 mm long. Stigmas 2. Nut suborbicular, biconvex.
N. Taranaki - Stratford; Wellington - near Dannevirke, Levin. S. Marlborough - Kekerengu; Canterbury - near Christchurch, near Timaru. In pasture. (Europe)
First record: ‡ Although C. muricata L. has been reported several times in N.Z., no record has, in fact, been based on plants of this sp. Cheeseman first recorded C. muricata (T.N.Z.I. 16, 1884, 411), but later pointed out that this referred to C. trachycarpa (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 812). Cheeseman' s further record of C. muricata (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 1089) is based on a specimen of C. spicata Huds. as is also Allan' s record (Handbk Nat. Fl. N.Z. 1940, 309).
First collection: "Kekerengu, south of Blenheim, Marlborough; from typical limestone country," G. Harris, Jan. 1945 (CHR 65306).
