Flora of New Zealand Series

S. sulcatus Thouars Fl. Trist. d' Acugna 1808, 36; 1811, t. 7 var. distigmatosus C.B. Clarke in Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 775.

Tufted. Stems ± erect, 10-30- (50) cm high. Leaves reduced to a single basal red-purple sheath. Inflorescence a cluster of numerous red-brown or red-purple spikelets, often proliferous. Stamen 1. Style-branches 2. Nut plano-convex or biconvex, cream to light grey-brown.

N., S. Almost throughout; not known from Otago. St., Ch. Swampy ground; lowland.

D. Tufted annual.

Annual N.Z. Scirpus spp. were treated as native by Moore and Edgar (Fl. N.Z. 2, 1970, 184-185 ) but are now regarded as adventive.