- ≡ Scirpus habrus Edgar, New Zealand J. Bot. 4: 199 (1966)
Slender, close-packed tufts from a shortly creeping rhizome. Culms (5)–10–30 cm. long, slightly < 0.5 mm. diam., soft and us. flaccid; basal bracts light reddish brown. Lvs 1–3–(4) per culm, < culm, c. 0.5 mm. wide; sheaths often tinged with red-purple. Infl. apparently lateral, of 1–3 ovate spikelets, occ. proliferous; subtending bract up to 6 times length of spikelets. Spikelets 2.5–4 × 2–3 mm., varying in colour from pale green to dark red-purple, almost black. Glumes 1–2 mm. long, ovate-elliptical, acute, keel green, prominent, often slightly excurrent, sides wholly cream, or with red-purple markings to almost entirely dark red-purple, but then often with pale cream nerves. Hypog. bristles 0. Stamens occ. 3, but us. 2 in lower glumes, us. 1 in upper glumes; very rarely 1 in all glumes. Style-branches 3. Nut 1–1.5 mm. long, slightly > 0.5 mm. wide, obovate-elliptical, trigonous with angles slightly thickened, cream to occ. light brown, minutely stipitate and apiculate.
[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2 as Scirpus habrus Edgar]