Scleria rugosa R.Br.

Brown, R. (1810) Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 240.

Annual with slender erect to decumbent stems 10-30 cm.

Lamina with obtuse apex, lamina with a pprominent vein on each side of the main vein on the abaxial surface; sheaths loose, glabrous, sharply triquetrous to winged; conttraligule short, semi-orbicular and ciliate.

Inflorescenceconsisting of a terminal panicle and 1-2 lateral, remote fascicles of panicles, on stout, often recurved peduncles; upper primary bract erect, very long and leaf-like; spikelets unisexual, male spikelets shortly peduncled, lanceolate, ca. 2 mm long; female spikelets 3-4 mm long; glume ovate, acute, ciliate, with green keel, scabrid to pubescent in the upper half, rest of glume straw coloured streaked with fine lines and streaks; disk thick and appressed, shallowly 3-lobed, densely glandular, lobes obtuse.

Nut shorter than the glumes, globose to slightly depressed, glossy with a few pits at the top or with cross ridges and large elongated papillae in the top third, apiculate, 1.3-1.8 mm long.

Features not available.

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards into northern New South Wales. Altitudinal range from near sea level up to 800 m. Grows in swampy places and along stream banks in rainforest margins, Melaleuca swamp forest, Eucalypt forest, in various types of woodland and in Heathland. Also widely distributed from India, Malesia and the Pacific Islands.