Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus

Large, tussock-forming perennial. Culms terete or somewhat compressed, striate but smooth, glabrous, often 1 m or more high, 1–2.5 mm diam. Leaf-blades often 50 cm long, 1–2.5 mm wide; sheaths striate but shining, greyish yellow-brown. Inflorescence 1.5–2 cm diam.; involucral bracts usually 3, broad and sheathing at base, to about as long as inflorescence. Glumes glistening, yellow-brown, chartaceous with thinner wavy, erose margin; lowest 3 or 4 glumes much shorter than upper; uppermost 3 glumes 5.0–5.5 mm long, the lowest closely enveloping the other 2 much narrower glumes; hypogynous bristles somewhat longer than nut, usually remaining with inflorescence. Nut (rarely collected) obovoid to broad-ellipsoid, the loose outermost layer grey-brown, sparsely hispidulous at apex and base of style or glabrous, 3–3.5 mm long, 1.6–1.8 mm diam.; the inner nut c. 2.5 mm long with shining, slightly wrinkled and minutely reticulate, pale red-brown surface. Flowers spring–summer.