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habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
close-up of leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
older leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
flower clusters trailing along the ground (Photo: Ros Shepherd)
close-up of elongated flower clusters (Photo: Ros Shepherd)
Scientific Name
Carex testacea Sol.
Family
Cyperaceae
Common Names
carex, New Zealand sedge, orange New Zealand sedge, orange sedge, orange-green sedge, sedge, speckled sedge
Origin
Native to New Zealand
Naturalised Distribution
Naturalised near Hobart in Tasmania, though these populations are thought to have been eradicated. Possibly also naturalised in Victoria.
Notes
This species is cultivated a garden ornamental in the temperate regions of Australia, but it is regarded as a potential environmental weed in Tasmania because it has the capacity to invade pastures, native grasslands and woodlands. Within its native range in New Zealand it is also regarded as a significant weed of pastures.
New Zealand sedge (Carex testacea) may be confused with other New Zealand sedges (i.e. Carex buchananii, Carex albula and Carex flagellifera) and is also similar to several native species. These species are difficult to distinguish from each other when not in flower, however New Zealand sedge (Carex testacea) can usually be separated from most of these other species by its very elongated flowering stems that trail along the ground and can reach up to 3 m in length.