Cyperaceae
Carex

Carex brunnea Thunb.

First published in J.A.Murray (ed.), Syst. Veg., ed. 14.: 844 (1784)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Tropical Africa, W. Indian Ocean, Subtropical Asia, E. Australia to Lord Howe Island. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Fairly slender tussocky perennial with a compact horizontal woody rhizome and numerous crowded stems
Morphology Stem
Stems 30–60 cm long and 1–1.5 mm thick, triangular, scabrid to subglabrous on angles
Morphology Leaves
Leaves many; lower sheaths dark reddish brown with darker nerves, sometimes splitting up into fibres; blades to 40 cm long and 3–4 mm wide, flat, scabrid on margin and ribs particularly towards the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 1–3 slender stalked or subsessile spikes from each of the 5–8 uppermost sheaths; subtending bracts leafy and mostly much longer than the spikes (but the uppermost shorter) Spikes 1–3 cm long and c. 3 mm wide, consisting of 5–15 distantly set female flowers at the base and 2–6 male flowers at the tip; male part of the spike much shorter than the female
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes 3–4 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, light reddish brown with a pale 1–3-nerved somewhat scabrid midrib ending in the acute apex; male and female glumes similar, but male and upper female glumes often not scabrid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style with 2 c. 3 mm long slender stigmas
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlet up to 2.5 x 1.5 mm, ovate-lenticular, dark brown or pale. Utricle oval and lenticular, c. 3.5 x 1.2–1.3 mm including a prominent 0.5–0.8 mm long cuneate base and a c. 1 mm long distinct beak; nerves many and prominent on both sides
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0