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  4. Machaerina complanata

Machaerina complanata

Close up of Machaerina complanata inflorescences showing maturing seeds, Ex Cult. Ngawha Springs (Oratia Native Plant Nurseries), November 2005.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Machaerina complanata wild plant, Ngawha Springs.<br>Photographer: Lisa Forester, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0'>CC BY-SA</a>.
Growth form of Machaerina complanata, in the wild at Ngawha Springs, Lake Waiparaheka, October 1990.<br>Photographer: Gillian M. Crowcroft, Licence: All rights reserved.
Machaerina complanata inflorescence close up, Ex Cult. Ngawha Springs (Oratia Native Plant Nurseries), November 2005.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Machaerina complanata inflorescence bearing maturing seeds, Ex Cult. Ngawha Springs (Oratia Native Plant Nurseries), November 2005.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Close up of Machaerina complanata inflorescence showing maturing seeds, Ex Cult. Ngawha Springs, (Oratia Native Plant Nurseries), November 2005.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Close up of Machaerina complanata inflorescence with maturing seed, Ex Cult. Ngawha Springs, (Oratia Native Plant Nurseries), November 2005.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Close up of Machaerina complanata inflorescence showing maturing seeds, Ex Cult. Ngawha Springs (Oratia Naticve Plant Nurseries), November 2005.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Machaerina complanata showing growth form, Ex Cult. Ngawha Springs (Oratia Native Plant Nurseries), November 2005.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Lake Waiparaheka, Ngawha Springs - old fruiting and young flowering inflorescences.<br>Photographer: Gillian M. Crowcroft, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Machaerina complanata plants in the wild at Lake Waiparaheka, Ngawha Springs.<br>Photographer: Gillian M. Crowcroft, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Synonyms

Cladium complanatum Bergg., Baumea complanata (Bergg.) Blake

Family

Cyperaceae

Authority

Machaerina complanata (Bergg.) Koyama

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

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.

MACCOM

Chromosome number

2n = c.50

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: RF

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: RF

2004 | Range Restricted

Distribution

Endemic. Known only from the North Island, where it now occurs locally from Te Paki south to the Kaipara Harbour. It was also once present in the Waikato on the shores of Lake Waaihi, and there are recent subfossil deposits made by this species in peat bogs (now drained) at Papamoa and Te Puke (Bay of Plenty)

Habitat

Coastal to lowland (1-300 m a.s.l.). A species of open habitats which has been collected from estuaries (in salt marsh), consolidated dune swales (which are seasonally wet), freshwater lake and river margins, amongst gum land scrub, under regenerating kauri, from the margins of geothermally active springs and fumaroles, and from acidic peat bogs.

Features

Dark green, tufted and leafy sedge. Culms 05–0.9(-1.3) m tall, c.3 mm wide, smooth, ± compressed. Leaves ± = culms, 4–8 mm wide, flat, distichous, isobilateral equitant, striated, pale green, tip acute, margins glabrous Panicle 0.15–0.50 m long, narrow, erect from a long sheath with short lamina; branchlets flexible, fascicled from upper sheaths. Spikelets, c.5 mm 1ong, light red-brown, 2–3-flowered, 1–2 flowers fertile. Glumes 5–6, ovate, acuminate or acute, chartaceous, striped with brown, scabrid on back towards tip, margins minutely ciliate. Nut, including beak, c.4 × 2 mm, trigonous, red-brown, very shortly stipitate, narrowed above to a long, triquetrous, scabrid beak

Similar taxa

Machaerina sinclairii is similar but has much wider (10-30(-40) mm) light green (rather than dark green) leaves, some what fluffy brown more pendulous rather than erect to suberect, non-fluffy inflorescences, and the persistant style base of M. sinclairii is about the same length as the nut, and though rather narrow is quite conspicuous. In Machaerina complanata the style-base though persistant , is usually turgid, much shorter than the nut and usually inconspicuous.

Flowering

September - November

Fruiting

November - March (but fruits of varying ages may be found throughout the year)

Propagation technique

Difficult and should not be removed from the wild. Fresh seed germinates easily (usually within 1-3 months) but plants resent root disturbance and seedlings need to be handled with care as any root damage will kill them. Once seedlings establish it is easy to grow. Does well in wet or dry but prefers full sun. Experimentation with growing conditions at Oratia Native Plant Nurseries showed this species does best when planted in fresh, untreated pine saw dust. Seed set varies from year to year, and there is some indication that it has mast years. For example, 2005 was a particularly good seeding year, while the previous four years were not.

Threats

At all known sites seedlings are scarce (or absent altogether). Many populations are senescent or flower infrequently, and few are on protected land. Indications are that this is a light demanding plant which in the wild is succumbing to natural succession. In heavy shade plants will not flower. In the past this species was regarded as highly threatened, and at that time the key threat had been habitat loss caused by wetland drainage. Recent discoveries over the last 15 or so years indicate that this species is not necessarily confined to wetlands, and potentially can grow in any suitably open habitat.

Etymology

complanata: Levelled or flattened

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (8 September 2004). Description adapted from Moore & Edgar (1970).

References and further reading

McCluggage, A.P. 2000. New location of Baumea complanata at Shenstone Te Paki Northern New Zealand. Auckland Botanical Society Journal, 55: 68-69 

Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Machaerina complanata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/machaerina-complanata/ (Date website was queried)

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