Common name: Pale Twig-rush
Machaerina acuta (Labill.) J.Kern APNI* Synonyms: Baumea acuta (Labill.) Palla APNI*
Description: Slender, tufted perennial with long rhizome.
Culms rigid, flat to biconvex, nodeless, ± striate, glabrous, smooth, 15–35 cm high, 0.8–1.5 mm diam. Leaves basal; blade flat to biconvex, shorter than to exceeding culms, 0.7–2.5 mm wide; sheath straw-coloured to pale red-brown, dull.
Inflorescence oblong in outline, narrow, erect, 2–6(-14) cm long, c. 1 cm diam.; lowest involucral bract shorter than to exceeding inflorescence. Spikelets few, 1-flowered, 4.5–6 mm long. Glumes 3 or 4, acute, red-brown, with margins ciliate or glabrous; fertile glumes 4–5 mm long. Anthers 1.3–2.0 mm long, excluding appendage 0.2–0.5 mm long.
Nut obovoid to ellipsoid, 1.5–2.2 mm long, 1.0–1.3 mm diam., irregularly wrinkled to smooth or minutely reticulate or colliculate, minutely hispid at apex, ± shining, red-brown to black.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Mainly coastal, extending to Carrai S.F. Grows on the ranges west of Kempsey and to the Budawang Ra. Grows in swamps and damp heath on open sandy soils.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, ST
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. W.A. S.A.
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Feb 2023)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993), as Baumea acuta
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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