Machaerina articulata

Perennial with short, stout rhizome. Culms rigid, terete, transversely septate (not obvious when fresh), nodeless, striate, smooth or scabrous, 90–200 cm high, 4–10 mm diam. Leaves usually basal (sometimes a short leaf developed on the upper portion of the culm); blade culm-like, equalling or exceeding culm, to 10 mm diam.; sheath straw-coloured, dull. Inflorescence oblong in outline, loose, drooping, 15–45 cm long, to 10 cm diam.; lowest involucral bract shorter than inflorescence. Spikelets numerous, 2–5-flowered, 3.5–5 mm long; glumes 4–7, acute, often mucronate, red-brown, glabrous; fertile glumes 3.5–5 mm long. Nut ellipsoid to ovoid, strongly and irregularly wrinkled, ± smooth at apex and base and on the 3 angles, hispid or papillose at apex, ± dull, pale to dark red-brown, 1.8–2.8 mm long, 1.2–1.4 mm diam. Flowers spring–summer.