- ≡ Scirpus reticularis (Colenso) Edgar in Moore & Edgar, Fl. N. Zeal. 2, 178 (1970)
- = Scirpus inundatus var. gracillimus Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl. 775 (1906)
- ≡ Isolepis inundata var. gracillimus (Cheeseman) W.R.B.Oliv., Rec. Domin. Mus. 1: 211 (1944)
Tufted, drooping, loosely carpeting the ground with lax, filiform, light green culms. Culms (4)–10–30 cm. long, < 0.5 mm. diam., smooth, compressed. Lvs 1–3, similar to culms but us. much shorter, lowermost lf reduced to a sheath 1–1.5 cm. long, red towards the base, often with a fine green mucro c. 0.3–0.5 mm. long. Infl. apparently lateral, of 1–3–(5) spikelets, often proliferous; bract subtending infl. us. much > spikelets, often filiform. Spikelets 2–5–(7) × 1–1.5–(1.7) mm., oblong-ovate, us. pale green tinged with red. Glumes 1 to slightly < 2 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, pale straw-coloured, rather transparent, or sprinkled with dark red dots, or red-striped or almost black, margins entire, pinched in at the tip below the green, slightly excurrent keel, lateral nerves conspicuous. Hypog. bristles 0. Stamens 1. Style-branches 3. Nut c. 1 × 0.5 mm., from ⅔ length of glume to c. = glume, elliptical or obovoid, trigonous, pale straw-coloured, almost white, glossy, markedly apiculate, tip not dark.
[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2 as Scirpus reticularis (Colenso) Edgar]