- Taxon
- Gallery
- = Chaetospora axillaris R.Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. 233 (1810)
- ≡ Schoenus axillaris (R.Br.) Poir., Encycl. (Lamarck) Suppl. 2. 251 (1811)
- = Scirpus foliatus Hook.f. (1844)
- ≡ Schoenus foliatus (Hook.f.) S.T.Blake (1940)
- = Schoenus subaxillaris Kük. (1938)
Small, flaccid, tufted or spreading, green and lfy. Culms (3)–5–15–(20) cm. × c. 0.5 mm., often trailing and rooting at the nodes, branched towards the tip, bright green. Lvs 1–3.5 cm. × 0.5–1 mm., almost flat, alternate, spreading, obtuse, margins us. slightly toothed towards lf-tip; sheath enclosing c. ⅓ internode, membr., often red-purple. Spikelets 1–3 in the axils of the lvs, 2–3 mm. long, 1–2-fld, light brown or reddish purple, sessile or on short, scabrid stalks. Glumes 5, ovate-lanceolate, ± obtuse, 2 lowest smaller, empty, membr., mucronate, 1–2 upper glumes fertile, margins hyaline, median nerve pale green. Hypog. bristles 6, rarely fewer, white or yellow-brown, thread-like, slightly > or occ. < nut persistent. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3. Nut c. 1 mm. long, slightly < 1 mm. wide, elliptic-ovoid, white, angles green and thickened, tip acute, occ. with a small trigonous, persistent style-base.
[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2.]