Machaerina tetragona (Labill.) T.Koyama ex Jessop APNI* Synonyms: Baumea tetragona (Labill.) S.T.Blake APNI*
Cladium tetraquetrum Hook.f. APNI*
Description: Perennial with long rhizome. Culms rigid, nodeless or 1-noded, terete to irregularly 4-angled, striate, glabrous, smooth or occasionally finely scabrous near apex, 25–100 cm high, 1.3–2 mm diam.
Leaves basal; blade 4-angular (often square) in cross section (rarely narrowly rhomboid), faces often concave, scabrous to smooth, shorter and broader than culm, to 3 mm diam.; sheath pale brown, usually with reddish tinges, dull.
Inflorescence ovate in outline, erect, 7–12(-17) cm long, 2–3 cm diam.; lowest involucral bract much shorter than inflorescence. Spikelets numerous, 1-flowered, 3.5–4.0 mm long. Glumes 3–5, acute to long-acute, mucronate, ± excurved, very dark red-brown, with margins ciliate; fertile glumes c. 4 mm long. Anthers 1.5–2.3 mm long, excluding appendage 0.2–0.3 mm long.
Nut obovoid to ellipsoid, 1.8–2.6 mm long, 0.9–1.3 mm diam., with longitudinal and short incomplete transverse ridges, faintly white-papillose between ridges, minutely hispid or papillose at apex, dull, pale brown.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: South from Blue Mtns and Bargo, sporadic. Grows along streams and in swamps.
NSW subdivisions: CC, SC, CT
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by K. L. Wilson (1993); edited KL Wilson (Feb 2023)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993) as Baumea tetragona
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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