Common name: Lax Flat-sedge
Cyperus flaccidus R.Br. APNI* 
Description: Small, tufted annual.
Culms triquetrous above, flattened below, smooth or scabrous, 2–20 cm high, 1–2 mm diam.
Leaves not septate-nodulose, 1–2 mm wide, mostly shorter than culms and often reduced to sheaths. Inflorescence simple with 3–7 branches to 8 cm long, or head-like; digitate clusters to 15 mm diam.; involucral bracts leaf-like, the lowest erect and appearing as a continuation of the culm, often much longer than inflorescence. Spikelets flattened, 2–8 per cluster, to 20-flowered, 5–10 mm long, 2–2.5 mm wide; rachilla not winged, persistent. Glumes excurved-mucronate, with sides 1-nerved, 1–1.5 mm long, whitish with obviously reticulate midrib. Stamens 1 or 2. Style 3-fid.
Nut triquetrous, broad-obovoid, about half as long as glume, c. 0.5 mm long, c. 0.3 mm diam., brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in wet places, such as margins of ephemeral pools; in coastal areas north from Sydney region, west to Byrock and south to Barmah.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, NT, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. W.A. S.A. N.T.
Text by K. L. Wilson
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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