Ficinia ixioides Nees

Perennial herb, tufted, up to 0.3 m high. Leaves with sheaths with conspicuous whitish or brown-flecked, scarious ligules; blades lax, flat. Culm ridged, ± 1 mm in diam. Inflorescence a terminal, compact, oblong head, up to 12 x ± 6 mm, ± completely enveloped by dilated bract bases. Subtending bracts 2, bases dilated, blackish with scarious white or brown-flecked margins, apices forming 2 free lobes, one on either side of keel, with erect, rigid, extended blade-like apex up to 40 mm long. Spikelet bracts (glumes) lanceolate-acuminate, ± 7 x ± 2 mm, keel excurrent into ± 1 mm long, scabrid awn. Flowering time Oct.-Dec. Nutlet obovate, including gynophore ± 2.5 mm long, shallowly 3-angled, reddish brown, surface minutely reticulate. Gynophore relatively small, lobed.