Lepidosperma tortuosum F.Muell. APNI* 
Description: Small tufted perennial with very short rhizome. Culms rigid, often somewhat twisted, biconvex centrally with flat margins, striate, scabrous to smooth, 10–35 cm high, 0.5–1.5(-2.0) mm wide; margins scabrous.
Leaves slightly biconvex with central groove on each face, shorter than culms, 0.5–1.5(-2.0) mm wide; sheath yellow-brown to reddish, not viscid, ± shining.
Inflorescence ± ovate, of several small clusters of spikelets with flexuous rachis, 0.8–4 cm long, 0.5–1 cm diam.; involucral bract shorter than to longer than inflorescence. Spikelets few, 5–8 mm long. Glumes 5–7, red-brown with straw-coloured patches to grey-brown; 3 or 4 lowest empty, much shorter than fertile glumes, obtuse, mucronate, glabrous; fertile 4–5 mm long, acute, scaberulous. Scales 6, a third to two-thirds the length of nut, whitish.Anthers 1.5–2.5 mm long, excluding appendage c. 0.3 mm long. Anthers 1.5–2.5 mm long, excluding appendage c. 0.3 mm long. Anthers 1.5–2.5 mm long, excluding appendage c. 0.3 mm long.
Nut ellipsoid to ovoid, 2.0–2.7 mm long, c. 1.5 mm diam., grey-green, ± smooth, shining.
Flowering: Spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: On the eastern edge of the tablelands, south from Timbarra, extending east to Carrai Plateau. Grows in mountain heath and woodland.
NSW subdivisions: NC, SC, NT, CT, ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. ?S.A.
The rachis is occasionally not very flexuous (e.g. in some specimens from the CT).
Text by K. L. Wilson
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
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