Carex rhodesiaca Nelmes

Perennial herb, tufted, 0.25-0.60 m high. Leaf blades up to 300-480 x 3-7 mm, flat or plicate, glabrous. Culm nodose, sharply 3-angled, ± 2 mm in diam. Inflorescence 50-310 mm long. Bracts 1 at each node. Spikes 4-6, pendulous, uppermost staminate, lowermost 3-5 pistillate. Pistillate bracts (glumes) ovate, 4.5-6.5 x 0.8-1.2 mm, keel excurrent into 2.0-4.2 mm long scabrid awn. Perigynium suberect, stalked, rostrate, 3-4 mm x 1.5-1.8 mm, shallowly biconvex in cross section, slightly inflated, midbrown to reddish brown with whitish 0.3-0.5 mm long rostrum, surface papillate. Flowering time Nov., Dec. Nutlet obovate, 1.9-2.2 x 1.0-1.7 mm, dark brown, surface minutely papillose.