Machaerina arthrophylla
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Dark green, rhizomatous sedge. Rhizome c. 3 mm diameter, horizontal, shortly creeping, hard, lignaceous, covered with very loose bracts. Culms 0.5–1.3 m tall, 1–2 mm diameter, terete. Leaves: lowermost reduced to sheathing bracts, light brown; upper leaves 1–3, terete like the stems, internally septate, tips acute. Inflorescence a panicle, 100–400 mm long, rounded at the tip, interrupted, branchlets drooping, in distant fascicles, the lowermost often remote, the stoutest lateral branchlet arising from lowest spathaceous bract < 1 mm diameter, usually only c. 0.5 mm diameter; bracts large, membranous, acuminate, spathaceous, light greenish brown. Spikelets, 3.0–4.5 mm long, approximate and rather evenly distributed along the branchlets, brown, 2–4-flowered, usually only 2 lowest flowers fertile. Glumes 4–7, ovate, acute, or acuminate, membranous, pale brown below, red towards the apex and scabrid; margins ciliate. Nut 2.0–2.5 × c. 1 mm, oblong, trigonous, smooth, whitish, beak small.
Similar taxa
Machaerina arthrophylla is recognised by the terete, dark green, internally septate leaves; red-brown inflorescences which are rounded at the apices, and whose branches are arranged in distant fascicles (and whose stoutest lateral branchlet of inflorescence arises from the lower most spathaceous bract.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North (Waikato south to Waiouru), South (D’urville Island, Westland, Southland), and Chatham Island. Also in Australia.
Habitat
Coastal to subalpine (up to 1200 m a.s.l.) in freshwater wetlands, especially on the margins of lakes, tarns and slow-flowing streams; also within burn pools in restiad bogs, and in low moor, acidic wetlands.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Baumea huttonii (Kirk) Blake; Baumea arthrophylla (Nees) Boeck.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
December–May
Life cycle and dispersal
Nuts are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Can be grown from fresh seed but slow to establish. Resents root disturbance.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
OBL: Obligate Wetland
Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
MACART
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Moore LB, Edgar E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, Volume II. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 354 p.
Wilcox M. 2002. Baumea arthrophylla at Mahurangi. Auckland Botanical Society 57: 51.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (8 September 2006). Description adapted from Moore & Edgar (1970).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Machaerina arthrophylla Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/machaerina-arthrophylla/ (Date website was queried)