Machaerina arthrophylla
Synonyms
Baumea huttonii (Kirk) Blake; Baumea arthrophylla (Nees) Boeck.
Family
Cyperaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Sedges
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
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
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.
Features
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. Lowermost leaves 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 x 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, and which is
Flowering
October - December
Fruiting
December - May
Life cycle
Nuts are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Can be grown from fresh seed but slow to establish. Resents root disturbance.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (8 September 2006). Description adapted from Moore & Edgar (1970).
References and further reading
Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.
Wilcox, M. 2002. Baumea arthrophylla at Mahurangi. Auckland Botanical Society, 57: 51
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309
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)