Citation: Palla, Bot. Jb. 10:299 (1889).

Synonymy: Scirpus litoralis Schrader, Fl. Germ. 1:142 (1806).

Common name: None

Description:
Perennial; rhizome creeping; stems cylindrical, stout, tall and to 150 cm high, triquetrous in the upper part; leaves reduced to the sheathing bases or with a short lamina; bract solitary, erect, continuous with the stem, 5-10 cm long, rigid, concavo-convex.

Inflorescence simple or compound, 2-8 cm long; spikelets solitary, ovoid to oblong-ovoid, ferrugineous or brown, 8-15 mm long, 3-5 mm broad: glumes numerous, mucronate, obtuse or slightly notched, minutely ciliolate at the apex but otherwise glabrous; hypogynous scales usually 4, ligulate-spathulate, plumosely fringed in the upper part; stamens usually 3; style branches 2.

Nut ovoid or globose to obovoid, sometimes elliptic, c. 2 x 1.5 mm, apiculate, unequally biconvex, strongly dorsiventrally compressed, castaneous to blackish, smooth, rather dull, more than half as long as the glume.

Published illustration: Williams (1984) Native plants of Queensland, p. 259.

Distribution:    W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W.   Africa; Europe and Asia. Conservation status: native Flowering time: throughout the year.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: Easily confused with Schoenoplectus validus.

Author: Not yet available