- Taxon
- Gallery
- ≡ Leptocarpus similis Edgar, New Zealand J. Bot. 6: 468 (1969)
- = Leptocarpus simplex (Murr.) R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. 250 (1810) nom. illeg.
Rhizome 3–7 mm. diam., closely covered by dark brown, imbricating scales, 1–2 cm. long, each enclosing a tuft of coarse brown hairs. Culms 50–150–(180) cm. × 1.5–2.5 mm., us. densely packed, erect, simple, terete, grey-green, yellow-green, or reddish. Lvs reduced to bract-like sheaths, dark brown, almost black, spaced at intervals of 7–9 cm. at the base of the culm, of 4–6 cm. higher up; margins entire. Male and female infls dissimilar. Male spikelets stalked, in panicles or fascicles; upper floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, mucronate, red-brown with membr. margins. ♂, tepals 6–4, almost completely hyaline, the outer longer, brownish, the inner shorter, paler; stamens 3; ovary rud. Female spikelets ± sessile, fascicled; upper floral bracts ovate, mucronate, > tepals. ♀, tepals 6, the outer keeled, lanceolate, acuminate, the inner flat, smaller, almost hyaline, more obtuse, mucronate; styles 3, united to midway, bright red; staminodes 0. Fr. c. 1 × 0.5 mm., triquetrous, ind. Seed c. 1 × 0.4 mm., oblong-elliptical, golden-brown, surface with reticulate markings, apiculate at each end, one end dark brown, the other pale, almost white.
[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2 as Leptocarpus similis Edgar]