Carex gaudichaudiana

This is a loosely-tufted clumping-sedge to over 100 cm tall with a creeping rhizome.

It is a widespread species in NSW, growing along the entire coastal and tablelands subdivisions and into the western slopes. It extends into south-east Queensland, most of Victoria and Tasmania, the east of South Australia, as well as New Zealand.

It is found growing mainly grows in wet areas (swamps and creekbanks) from near sea level to alpine areas.

Carex have simple leaves, grass-like and linear and often produced in a clump. In this species, leaves are linear, to 100 centimetres or more long and only 0.4 cm wide.

Carex have flowers arranged in inflorescences called spikes with flowers generally called spikelets. Flowers can be unisexual or bisexual and have reduced perianth parts and basal glumes (bracts). Spikes are usually clustered together into an inflorescence with the flowering stem called a culm.

In this species, the flowering stems (culms) are usually shorter than the leaves, but can be to 90 cm long, and rough to the touch.  Dark purplish brown flowers/spikelets are produced in dense linear spikes with 3 to 8 spikes creating an inflorescence to 20 cm long. Upper spikes are male and lower spikes female; produced in spring and summer and often after rain if growing in a dry position.

Carex produce fruits which are very small nuts. In this species, they are rounded and yellow-brown in colour.