Carpha nivicola F.Muell. APNI* Synonyms: Carpha alpina var. subacaulis Kük. APNI*
Description: Tufted perennial, shortly rhizomatous.
Culms rigid, terete, glabrous, striate but smooth, (2-)10–30 cm high, 0.5–1.5 mm diam.
Leaves ± stiff, channelled, flattened distally, mostly shorter than culms, 1.5–3 mm wide; sheath red-brown or dark yellow-brown near base, often paler above, often striate but shining. Inflorescence a loose cluster of 10–20 spikelets, 3–6 cm long; 1 or 2 involucral bracts longer than inflorescence. Spikelets 13–18 mm long. Glumes narrow-elliptic, acute, keeled above, straw-coloured or yellowish or red-dotted, the 2 outer small and empty, the 2 larger glumes 10–16 mm long, with a ± hyaline, ± linear empty glume above. Hypogynous bristles 12–15 mm long, yellow to pale red-brown, plumose except often the tips antrorsely scabrous for up to 1 mm. Anthers 2.3–4 mm long, excluding apical appendage 0.1–0.2 mm long...
Nut narrow-ellipsoid, on a short stipe c. 0.5 mm long, the body 3.5–4.5 mm long, c. 1.2 mm diam., the persistent style base 6–9 mm long; pale red-brown, minutely reticulate, glistening.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in bogs, fens and other wet alpine to subalpine areas, often colonizing disturbed sites; in the Kosciusko area.
NSW subdivisions: ST
Other Australian states: Vic.
Text by K. L. Wilson
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
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