Cyperus pilosus Vahl

Perennial, the rhizome emitting slender stolons clothed with lanceolate scales. Stems stoutish, solitary or subcespitose, triquetrous, smooth or scaberulous just below the inflorescence, 10-50(-110) cm by up to 6 mm. Leaves shorter than to as long as the stems, canaliculate or somewhat plicate with 3 prominent nerves, weak to rather rigid, gradually acuminate, scabrous on margins and nerves in the upper part, 4-10(-13) mm wide; lower sheaths brown-purplish. Inflorescence compound, very variable in size and density. Involucral bracts (3-)4-5, obliquely erect to spreading, the larger ones far overtopping the inflorescence, up to 50 cm. Primary rays (2-)6-7(-10), very unequal, spreading, smooth, the larger ones 5-15(-20)cm with 3-6 short secondary rays. Spikes ovoid, 2-3 cm long, with angular, rather to very densely hispidulous or pubescent rachis. Spikelets 6-25 to the spike, at right angles to the rachis or often reflexed, very rarely remaining suberect, elliptic to linear-lanceolate, compressed, 7-20(-50)-flowered, 5-10(-20) by 2-2½(-3)mm; rachilla straight, wingless or almost so, persistent; internodes 3/5-¾ mm. Glumes membranous, patulous, ovate, obtuse, sometimes minutely mucronulate, hardly keeled, 5-7-nerved, ½-⅔ imbricate, with green midrib, stramineous to reddish brown sides, and broad, whitish hyaline margins in the upper part, 2-2½ mm by c. 1½ mm. Stamens 3; anthers oblong, ½-¾ mm long, with short, smooth, reddish appendage of the connective. Stigmas 3. Nut triquetrous, obovoid or ellipsoid, broadly stipitate, apiculate, blackish brown, 1-1¼ by ½-¾ mm.

Open wet sites, swamps, grasslands, on river banks; at elevations up to 1,500 metres. Rainforest, mesophyll and notophyll vine forest, Melaleuca swamps and along rivers and creeks at elevations up to 950 metres in Australia.

Can be grown by seedlings.