Lepidosperma viscidum R.Br. APNI* 
Description: Clump-forming perennial with short rhizome. Culms rigid, erect, flat or with one surface slightly convex, glabrous, smooth, 35–60 cm high, 2.5–8 mm wide; margins scabrous, viscid, often ciliate.
Leaves similar in form and length to culms, 2–7 mm wide; sheath straw-coloured or rarely reddish near apex, dark brown to blackish at base, ± viscid, shining.
Inflorescence oblong to ovate in outline, erect, occasionally viscid, 7–22 cm long, 1.5–3 cm diam.; involucral bract shorter than inflorescence. Spikelets numerous, 4–7 mm long. Glumes 5 or 6, puberulous near apex or glabrous, red-brown to blackish brown; 2 lowest empty, shorter than fertile glumes, obtuse to acute, mucronate; fertile 4–6 mm long, long-acute. Scales 6, to a quarter the length of nut, pale red-brown. Anthers 1.7–2.5 mm long,
Nut narrow-ellipsoid to narrow-ovoid, 2.3–3.0 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm diam., pale to dark brown, smooth, shining.
Flowering: Spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows from Sydney to Jervis Bay and inland to the Blue Mtns and the ranges south from Sandy Hollow, possibly farther north. Grows in heath and woodland on sandy and rocky sites.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A.
This is a complex that includes several taxa (still being sorted out). In mallee regions, there is a separate taxon, which differs from typical L. viscidum in having less scaberulous, non-ciliate margins and with the culm surface rather like that of L. concavum. This form is found in the Murray Mallee and Lowan Mallee regions in Vic., and the SFWP (NE of Euston only) in N.S.W. and S.A.
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Nov 2020)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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