Seed collecting: | December to April | Herbarium regions: | Lake Eyre, Eastern, Murray |
NRM regions: | South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin |
Murray Mallee (MDD02) | Murray Darling Depression | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii)) (Probable Decline) [only on river; not seen since 1994] |
Murray Scroll Belt (RIV06) | Riverina | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii)) (Probable Decline) [only on river; not seen since 1994] |
Bimbowrie (BHC05) | Broken Hill Complex | Data Deficient [DD, spread by birds after flood, ephemeral] |
Oodnadatta (STP02) | Stony Plains | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) [outlier] |
Lake Pure (CHC07) | Channel Country | Near Threatened [outlier] |
RSCA map: | Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion. Please click the thumbnail map. |
AVH map: | Australian distribution map (external link) |
SA Census: | Census of South Australian plants (external link) [genus Cyperus] |
Name derivation:
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Cyperus from the Latin 'cyperos' and derived from the Greek 'kypeiros', an ancient Greek name used by Homer and Theophrastus for several plants of this genus. Nervulosus means with little veins. |
Distribution:
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Found mainly along the river Murray with scattered records in the central and north-east parts of South Australia, growing on damp sandy soil fringing receding water in lakes and watercourses. Also found in all mainland states. |
Status:
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Native. Rare in South Australia. Rare in New South Wales and Victoria. Common in the other states. |
Plant description:
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Dwarf tufted annual sedge. Culms trigonous, smooth, to 20 cm high, to 1 mm diameter. Leaves not septate-nodulose, as long as culms or much shorter, to 2 mm wide. Flower-spike simple, of 2–6 branches to 6 cm long, or head-like; spikes short, broad-ovoid, to 4 cm diam.; involucral bracts leaf-like, 2–4 exceeding inflorescence. Spikelets flattened, 5–20 per spike, 5–20 mm long, 2–3 mm wide in side view, 6–54-flowered; rachilla not or scarcely winged, persistent; glumes obtuse, with excurved mucro to 0.7 mm long, with keel 3–5-nerved, sides hyaline, pale yellow- to red rown, 2–2.5 mm long (excluding mucro); stamens 2. Flowers in spring and summer. |
Fruit type:
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Pale brown globular fruit-head in clusters at the terminal of stems. |
Seed type:
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Dark brown to black ovoid seed to 0.6 mm long and 0.2 mm wide, with a tuberculate surface and covered in a thin whitish transparent layer. |
Embryo type:
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Capitate. |
Seed collecting:
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Collect fruits by picking off the mature heads, those turning brown colour and come-off easily. |
Seed cleaning:
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Place the heads in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the heads with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate any unwanted material. Be careful as the seeds are very small. Seeds are ovid, dark brown to black and hard. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. |
Seed viability:
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From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 95%. |
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA | 44000 (0.75 g) | 50 | 11-May-2008 | RJB77864 Lake Eyre | 19-Sep-2008 | 95% | +5°C, -18°C |
Date | Result | T0 | T50 | Pre-treatment | Germination medium | Incubator: Photoperiod / Thermoperiod |
Jun-17 | 93% | 7 | 7 | 30% hydrogen peroxide for 10 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under summer conditions |
Jun-17 | 83% | 7 | 14 | 1% agar; Incubated under summer conditions |
Jun-17 | 17% | 14 | NA | 30% hydrogen peroxide for 10 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under spring/autumn conditions |
Jun-17 | 3% | 28 | NA | 1% agar; Incubated under spring/autumn conditions |
Jun-17 | 0% | NA | NA | 1% agar; Incubated under winter conditions |
Jun-17 | 0% | NA | NA | 30% hydrogen peroxide for 10 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under winter conditions |