Carpha alpina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carpha alpina | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Cyperaceae |
| Genus: | Carpha |
| Species: | C. alpina |
| Binomial name | |
| Carpha alpina R.Br. | |
Carpha alpina, commonly known as small flower-rush, is a tufted perennial sedge from the family Cyperaceae. It is found primarily in south-east Australia and both islands of New Zealand, but also in Papua New Guinea.[1]
Carpha alpina grows as a short rhizomatous tufted perennial sedge.[2] It has rigid, striated culms that are glabrous and can grow between 2-10 cm tall and 0.7-1.5 mm wide.[3] The numerous grey-green or red-green leaf-blades are stiff and flattened, with a yellow-brown sheath and a width ranging from 0.5-2 mm.[2] The inflorescence is made up of 1-3 loose clusters ranging from 1-10 cm long with singular or paired bracts slightly longer than the inflorescence.[2] The spikelets are between 8-10 mm long and arranged in clusters of 2-10.[3] The brown, acute and keeling glumes are separated into upper and lower parts, with the lowest 2 or 3 empty and half the size of the upper glumes.[2] The upper glumes are larger - 8-9 mm long, with a bristlelike glume above; the bristles are 7-10 mm long and red or brown in colour.[3] The fruit is a nut, 2.5-3 mm long, brown in colour and narrow-ellipsoid in shape.[4] The nut has a short stipe and is crowned by the rigid smooth or slightly hairy 3-5 mm long style-base.[4]
