NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Synonyms: Machaerina huttonii (Kirk) T.Koyama APNI*
Baumea arthrophylla (Nees) Boeckeler APNI*
Baumea huttonii (Kirk) S.T.Blake APNI*

Description: Perennial with long rhizome.

Culms rigid, terete or compressed, 1-noded, striate, glabrous, smooth, 30–100 cm high, 0.8–2.5 (rarely to 5) mm diam. Leaves basal and cauline; basal blade terete, more or less transversely septate (not obvious externally when fresh), to 1.5 rarely to 8 mm diam., shorter than culms, cauline much reduced; sheath reddish or straw-coloured, dull.

Inflorescence interrupted-oblong in outline, narrow, erect, 8–55 cm long, 1.5–3 cm diam.; lowest involucral bract much shorter than inflorescence. Spikelets ± numerous, 2–4-flowered, 3.5–5.5 mm long. Glumes 4 or 5, acute, with excurved mucro, mid to dark red-brown, with margins ciliate; fertile glumes 3.0–4.5 mm long. Anthers 1.1–1.8 mm long, excluding appendage 0.2–0.5 mm long.

Nut ellipsoid to ovoid, 2.0–2.5 mm long, 1.0–1.3 mm diam., smooth with underlying reticulations, white-hispid at apex, ± shining, straw-coloured to whitish.

Herbarium Sheet

Flowering: spring–summer.

Distribution and occurrence: Sporadic as far south as Batemans Bay region.

Grows in swamps.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. W.A. S.A. N.T.

AVH map***

Often confused with M. rubiginosa but the nuts differ. Also, M. rubiginosa has the leaves flattened at least near the apex, the involucral bracts are usually flattened near the apex too, while the spikelets are more densely clustered in that species.