Common name: Tassel Sedge
Carex fascicularis Sol. ex Boott APNI* 
Description: Rhizome short; shoots densely tufted. Culms erect, trigonous, smooth below, scabrous above, to 100 cm long, 2.5–3.5 mm diam.
Leaves mostly equalling culms; blade 6–11 mm wide; sheath yellow-brown; ligule acute.
Inflorescence spreading, 6–25 cm long, with 3–6 spikes solitary at nodes; lowest involucral bracts exceeding inflorescence. Spikes long-pedicellate, contiguous, drooping at maturity, 2.5–7 cm long; uppermost spike male; lower spikes female or occasionally with a few male flowers at the apex. Glumes acute, with scabrid mucro to 4 mm long, whitish to pale brown; female glumes 3–6 mm long. Perigynia (utricles) ovoid to ellipsoid, stipitate, strongly numerous-nerved, 5–7.5 mm long, 1.3–2 mm diam., glabrous, dark brown; beak 2–3 mm long, with apex deeply split. Anthers 2.0–2.5 mm long excluding appendage c. 0.2 mm long. Style 3-fid.
Nut obovoid, trigonous in cross section, yellow-brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in swampy areas; widespread on coast and tablelands.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. W.A. S.A.
Leaves septate-nodulose.
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Aug 2016)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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