Carex sylvatica Huds.
Tufts light green, often dense, shortly rhizomatous, to 60 cm tall. Stems slender, ± 3-angled, smooth, often drooping, elongating to ± 1.2 m at maturity. Leaves < stems, 2-4 mm wide, soft, ± flat; sheaths hyaline, outer ones dark brown. Inflorescence with ± longer narrow leaf-like bracts below and short setaceous bracts above; spikes distant, very narrow, on much longer scabrid filiform drooping peduncles. Male spike usually 1, ± 3 cm × 1.5 mm; glumes narrow-ovate, acute, keel scabrid. Female spikes 3-5, ± 3 cm × 3 mm, very lax-flowered; glumes < utricles, ovate, acute to acuminate, hyaline, light brown with green scabrid midrib. Utricles 4-5 × 1 mm, green to brown, membranous, ellipsoid, trigonous, with two prominent lateral nerves, beak ± 2 mm long, very narrow, sparingly scabrid, bifid; stipe short. Stigmas 3. Nut ellipsoid, trigonous.
N. Mt Egmont; Wellington - Wainuioru Valley. (Europe, N. Africa, temperate Asia)
First record: Healy and Edgar 1973: 25.
First collection: "Wainuioru Valley, Wairarapa, 800' , manuka scrub on terrace adjacent to patch of black beech forest," A. P. Druce, Feb. 1969 (CHR 192479).
NATIVE SPECIES:
Sections other than Echinochlaenae (see synopsis). Descriptions are abbreviated; additional characters can be extracted from the key and synopsis.
