Phil Bendle Collection:Carpha alpina (Carpha) Native

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Spermatophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Poales
Family: Cyperaceae
Genus: Carpha
Species: C. alpina
Binomial name: Carpha alpina
Common name: Carpha

Carpha alpina is a small slow growing tufted perennial sedge indigenous to Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand known from the North, South, Stewart and Auckland Islands. In the North Island, it is known locally from Te Moehau (highest point on the Coromandel Peninsula) south becoming more common along the main axial ranges and on the volcanic plateau.
Its habitat is bogs, fens and other wet alpine and subalpine areas, often colonising disturbed sites. In the northern part of its range strictly montane to alpine, descending to the coast on the west coast and southern portion of the South Island, Stewart and Auckland Islands.
It has slightly glaucous erect leaves which are numerous, grey-green or red-green, they are shorter than the culms (stems) and are up to 1.5mm wide and up to 300mm long.
The culms are rigid, glabrous, striate but smooth up to 10 cm high and up to 1.5mm in diameter.
Flowering occurs early summer and fruiting occurs February to April.

For more details visit: http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1604

The seed heads photographed March.

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

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