- ≡ Scirpus inundatus (R.Br.) Poir. (1817) nom. illeg. – as inundata
- ≡ Scirpus inundatus (R.Br.) Spreng., Syst. Veg., ed. 16 [Sprengel] 1, 207 (1824)
- = Isolepis propinqua R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. 222 (1810)
- = Isolepis conspersa Nees (1833)
- ≡ Scirpus conspersus (Nees) Boeckeler (1870)
- ≡ Scirpus conspersus (Nees) Laing (1915) nom. inval., nom. superfl.
- = Isolepis propinqua Nees (1841) nom. illeg.
- ≡ Scirpus cartilagineus var. propinqua (Nees) Benth., Fl. Austral. 7, 328 (1878)
- = Isolepis gunnii Steud. (1855)
- = Isolepis urvillei Steud. (1855)
- ≡ Scirpus urvillei (Steud.) Boeckeler (1870)
- = Isolepis multinervosa Boeckeler (1858)
- = Scirpus inundatus var. major Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl. 775 (1906)
Culms 6–30–(50) cm. × (0.4)–0.7–1.2–(1.8) mm., tufted, ∞, erect, often rather rigid, terete, bright green. Lvs 1, or rarely 2–3 at the base of the culm, < 1 mm. wide; frequently reduced to a single, mucronate, red basal bract, mucro us. short. Infl. an apparently lateral, solitary head of (1)–3–6–(10) crowded spikelets, often proliferous with 1–3 slender branchlets each terminated by a smaller head of spikelets, subtending bract us. slightly > spikelets. Spikelets (2)–3–4–(5) × 1.5–2.5–(3) mm., ovate or oblong-ovate, often dark red-purple. Glumes 1.5–2 mm. long, oblong-obovate, obtuse or ± acute, with a large dark red to black patch on either side of the pale green keel, with ∞ distinct, light brown nerves, margins entire, white and membr., flattened at the tip beside the keel. Hypog. bristles 0. Stamens 1, very rarely 2. Style-branches 3, or rarely 2–3. Nut c. 1 × 0.5 mm., slightly > ½ length of glume, conspicuously trigonous or occ. biconvex, distinctly mucronate, pale strawcoloured, almost white, occ. grey-brown, surface distinctly reticulate.
[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2 as Scirpus inundatus (R.Br.) Poir.]