Spikelets. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Scottsdale Bush Heritage Reserve near Bredbo, NSW

Plants. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Scottsdale Bush Heritage Reserve near Bredbo, NSW

Common Name

Common Spike -rush

Family

Cyperaceae

Notes

Perennial rush to 90cm tall.  Leaves reduced to membranous sheaths at the base of the plant.  Flower stem cylindrical, usually ribbed, triangular under the spikelet. Spikelet 10-30mm long, 3-7mm wide, straw coloured to brown, with 0 petals, of many florets, a single oval to cylindrical spikelet  at the top of the stem. Grows in shallow water.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 164

PlantNET description with line drawings and photo:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eleocharis~acuta