Carex lophocarpa C.B.Clarke APNI* 
Description: Rhizome long; shoots densely tufted. Culms erect, terete to trigonous, smooth or occasionally slightly scabrous, noded, 40–100 cm long, c. 2 mm diam.
Leaves shorter than culms; blade 3–5 mm wide; sheath pale brown; ligule obtuse.
Inflorescence erect, 2–5 cm long, with 2–6 spikes solitary at nodes; lowest involucral bracts exceeding inflorescence. Spikes sessile, contiguous, erect to spreading at maturity, c. 1.5 cm long; all spikes gynaecandrous. Glumes acute to obtuse, long-mucronate (0.5–2 mm long), white or hyaline with green midrib; female glumes c. 5 mm long. Perigynia (utricles) ovoid, strongly several-nerved with transverse wrinkling, 3–5.5 mm long, 1.5–1.8 mm diam., minutely hispid on narrowly winged margins, pale brown; beak c. 2 mm long, with apex split. Anthers c. 2 mm long excluding appendage to 0.2 mm long. Style 2-fid.
Nut ovoid, lenticular in cross section, dark yellow-brown.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: On ranges north from Dalmorton (NC). Grows in damp habitats in forest and woodland.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld
Possibly not distinct from C. inversa but differing in having an often bigger inflorescence and a longer beak on the utricle.
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
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