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Luzula flaccida (Buchenau) Edgar
Family Juncaceae
Luzula flaccida (Buchenau) Edgar APNI*

Synonyms: Luzula meridionalis var. flaccida (Buchenau) Nordensk. APNI*
Luzula meridionalis var. flaccida (Buchenau) Nordensk. APNI*

Description: Small perennial with loose tufts, usually with fibrous leaf remains at base.

Leaves 2.5–6 mm wide, flat, soft; margins sparsely to moderately hairy, usually papillose; apex obtuse. Culms 12–40 cm long, 0.5–1.2 mm diam., erect, slightly exceeding leaves.

Inflorescence very variable, ranging from several pedunculate clusters 5–10 mm diam. to a single head. Leafy bracts 1 or 2; apex obtuse or occasionally acute. Flowers 2.0–3.8 mm long. Tepals acuminate or inner tepals sometimes acute (form B), from conspicuously dark brown with broad hyaline or creamy margins to almost entirely cream-coloured. Anthers 0.3–1.5 mm long.

Capsule slightly shorter than tepals, yellow-brown, rarely red-brown at apex, smooth or papillose near apex; seeds 1.0–1.5 mm long.


Flower
Photo D. Hardin

Fruit
Photo D. Hardin

Herbarium
Sheet

Herbarium
Sheet

Flowering: spring–summer.

Distribution and occurrence:
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A.
AVH map***

A variable species with at least two forms/subspecies to be recognised.

Text by E. Edgar & K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (July 2016)
Taxon concept:

 Key to the subspecies 
1Anthers 0.7–1.5 mm long; inflorescence of several branches to 3 cm long bearing clusters c. 5 mm diam., with flowers 2.5–3.8 mm long; tepals red-brown or dark brown with broad creamy or hyaline margins; caruncle about a third the length of seed. Grows in moist grassy understorey in eucalypt woodland; south from Woodburn and Walcha, more common on the tablelands. NC SC NT CT ST NWS CWS SWS; Vic., Tas.subsp. Long Anther (K.L.Wilson 828 et al.)
Anthers 0.3–0.6 mm long; inflorescence of a few branches to 2 cm long with clusters c. 10 mm diam. (or sometimes reduced to a single head), with flowers 2.0–3.0 mm long; tepals pale red-brown with very broad creamy hyaline margins or almost entirely cream-coloured; caruncle about a quarter the length of seed. Grows in grassy margins of wet sclerophyll forest from sea level to 1550 m alt., also disturbed sites such as road banks. NC CC SC NT CT ST NWS CWS SWS; Qld, Vic., Tas., S.A.subsp. flaccida

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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