Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Germany.

Rhizomatous; loosely tufted, pale or bright green, not tussock-forming, shoots arising singly from the rhizome. Rhizome c. 2 mm. diam., loosely covered by dark brown sheaths, roots , fibrous, chestnut-brown; shoots approximate, 2–3 mm. diam. at base including basal sheaths. Culms 15–55 cm. × c. 1 mm., wiry, trigonous, smooth below, angles scabrid above; basal sheaths dark grey-brown. Lvs < culms, 1.5–3 mm. wide, channelled, scabrid on the edges, becoming triquetrous towards the tip. Infl. 1.5–5 cm. long, a compound spike, with a few spikes distant below and ± spikes clustered above, greenish brown, rarely subtended by a lf-like bract ± = infl. Spikes c. 5 mm. long, androgynous, male fls terminal. Glumes = or slightly < utricles, ovate, brown with wide membr. margins, midrib excurrent, finely scabrid in lower glumes. Utricles 3–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm., plano-convex, occ. unequally biconvex, broadly ovoid, with short distinct nerves radiating from the base on the convex face, but smooth on the flat face, shining, dark brown; beak c. 1 mm. long, sub-pyramidal, light brown, margins scabrid, orifice bifid; stipe minute, c. 0.2 mm. long, very narrow. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5 mm. long, biconvex or subtrigonous, obovoid, very much narrowed towards the base, dull brown.

DIST.: N. Scattered between lat. 38º and 40º. S. Scattered throughout, sea level to c. 700 m. altitude.

Also recorded from North Asia and North America and elsewhere in Europe.

In very wet bog or peat.

Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 258) notes that C. diandra is "easily distinguished by the slender wiry habit, usually dense spike-like panicles, small spikelets male at the top, and ovoid turgid long-beaked utricles, smooth on one side, but ribbed on the other . . ."