Carpha alpina, commonly known as small flower-rush, is a tufted perennial sedge from the family Cyperaceae. It is found primarily in south-east Australia and both islands of New Zealand, but also in Papua New Guinea. [1]
Carpha alpina grows as a short rhizomatous tufted perennial sedge. [2] It has rigid, striated culms that are glabrous and can grow between 2-10 cm tall and 0.7-1.5 mm wide. [3] The numerous grey-green or red-green leaf-blades are stiff and flattened, with a yellow-brown sheath and a width ranging from 0.5-2 mm. [2] The inflorescence is made up of 1-3 loose clusters ranging from 1-10 cm long with singular or paired bracts slightly longer than the inflorescence. [2] The spikelets are between 8-10 mm long and arranged in clusters of 2-10. [3] The brown, acute and keeling glumes are separated into upper and lower parts, with the lowest 2 or 3 empty and half the size of the upper glumes. [2] The upper glumes are larger - 8-9 mm long, with a bristlelike glume above; the bristles are 7-10 mm long and red or brown in colour. [3] The fruit is a nut, 2.5-3 mm long, brown in colour and narrow-ellipsoid in shape. [4] The nut has a short stipe and is crowned by the rigid smooth or slightly hairy 3-5 mm long style-base. [4]
Carpha alpina is widespread throughout the montane and subalpine areas of Tasmania as well as in mountainous regions of Victoria and New South Wales in Australia.[1] It is also found in New Zealand and Papua New guinea, primarily in mountainous areas. [1] Its habitat includes coastal to alpine bogs, mires, wet alpine and subalpine areas where it can colonize areas disturbed by environmental factors. [3][4]
Taxonomy
Carpha alpina was first described by Robert Brown after he sailed to Tasmania aboard the Lady Nelson in 1803.[5] It has some resemblance to the grasses of the Rytidosperma genus, however, the flat grey-green or red-green leaves, combined with the lack of lemma and palea on the flowers, and the distinctive stipitate nut; differentiate it from those species. [4]
