Cyperaceae taxon details
Morelotia australiensis (C.B.Clarke) R.L.Barrett & K.L.Wilson
1751711 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:1751711)
accepted
Species
Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke · unaccepted
Barrett, R. L.; Bruhl, J. J.; Wilson, K. L. (2021). Revision of generic concepts in Schoeneae subtribe Tricostulariinae (Cyperaceae) with a new genus <i>Ammothryon</i> and new species of <i>Tricostularia</i>. <em>Telopea.</em> 24: 61-169., available online at https://doi.org/10.7751/TELOPEA14844
page(s): 85 [details] Available for editors
[request]
page(s): 85 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Lectotype K 000960103, geounit Western Australia
Lectotype K 000960103, geounit Western Australia [details]
Description Perennial (short-lived) tufted herb, 0.3–1.3 m high; plants clonal, 0.1–0.6 m across; rhizome short, thick, woody,...
Distribution Apparently endemic to the greater Perth region, occurring on the eastern side of the Swan Coastal Plain, from Busselton,...
Description Perennial (short-lived) tufted herb, 0.3–1.3 m high; plants clonal, 0.1–0.6 m across; rhizome short, thick, woody, 8–15 mm diam., not pseudobulbous; old leaf sheaths covering the rhizome, not breaking apart into fibres with age, dark brown to blackish brown; roots sand-binding. Culms stout, erect, with 3 or 4 distant, leafy nodes, ± terete, 2.0–5.5 mm diam., multi-striate, glabrous, base not or slightly enlarged. Leaves mostly basal, numerous, and 3 or 4 cauline, reducing in size up the culm, ultimately bract-like; phyllotaxy loosely spirotristichous, sheath pubescent (?glabrescent), tight around culm, 20–45 mm long, 3–6 mm wide, ±equal width to the leaf lamina, dark brown to blackish brown, upper margin glabrous, ligule absent; basal leaves 12–18 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, lamina ±linear, channelled to ± flat, finely multi-striate, pubescent when young, green to bluegreen, paler below, margins sparsely scabrous, sometimes recurved, apex long-attenuate. Inflorescence open, panicle-like, narrow, ± linear, 15–27 cm long, 10–20 mm wide, axis blue-green, yellow-green or pinkish brown, slightly glaucous; bracts leaf-like, shorter than to slightly exceeding the spikelet clusters, basal bract much shorter than inflorescence; branches erect, with 3–10 densely clustered spikelets on short peduncles 1–2 mm long, arising in each bract axil; spikelet prophyll subtending each spikelet glume-like, sheath 3.7–4.1 mm long, pale brown, with 1 indistinct vein, partially enclosing the spikelet, without a lamina. Spikelets pale brown (apex of glumes reddish when young), very narrow-ovoid, 8–10 mm long, laterally compressed, with usually 5 glumes, glabrous but cell surface raised so appears very finely papillose at 20× magnification, only topmost 2 fertile, the lower flower bisexual but often reduced and infertile, the upper flower bisexual, fertile, lower glume 6–7 mm long, fertile glumes 7–9 mm long, 1.6–2.1 mm wide, glabrous, acute to obtuse with a mucro to 1.5 mm long; rachilla compact and not sinuous in fruiting spikelets. Perianth segments absent. Stamens (3)6 in upper flower, 6 in lower flower; anther connective 5–7 mm long, linear; anthers yellow, 5.5–6.5 mm long, with a scaberulous apical appendage up to 1 mm long. Style trifid, base 5–7 mm long, not dilated, glabrous, branches 2.5–3.0 mm long. Nutlet sessile, ovoid to ellipsoid, 4.9–5.4 mm long, 2.0–2.3 mm diam., smooth, epidermal cells square–hexagonal, inconspicuous, with 4 or 5 distinctly raised white ribs that broaden and fuse with the apex, apex with a very distinct persistent style base, broadly subconical to pyramidal, somewhat constricted at the base, to 1.4 mm long, finely hispidulous; embryo not examined. Photosynthetic pathway not examined. 1C = 0.49 pg (BGPA 20100981; Bureš et al. 2013). [details]
Distribution Apparently endemic to the greater Perth region, occurring on the eastern side of the Swan Coastal Plain, from Busselton,...
Distribution Apparently endemic to the greater Perth region, occurring on the eastern side of the Swan Coastal Plain, from Busselton, Mundijong and Waroona, north to Serpentine. Historical populations near the Perth suburbs of Armadale and Canning are apparently now extinct. [details]
Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Morelotia australiensis (C.B.Clarke) R.L.Barrett & K.L.Wilson. Accessed at: https://www.cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1751711 on 2025-09-13
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2024-12-10 11:47:54Z
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Nomenclature
original description
Barrett, R. L.; Bruhl, J. J.; Wilson, K. L. (2021). Revision of generic concepts in Schoeneae subtribe Tricostulariinae (Cyperaceae) with a new genus <i>Ammothryon</i> and new species of <i>Tricostularia</i>. <em>Telopea.</em> 24: 61-169., available online at https://doi.org/10.7751/TELOPEA14844
page(s): 85 [details] Available for editors [request]
page(s): 85 [details] Available for editors
[request]Taxonomy
redescription
Barrett, R. L.; Bruhl, J. J.; Wilson, K. L. (2021). Revision of generic concepts in Schoeneae subtribe Tricostulariinae (Cyperaceae) with a new genus <i>Ammothryon</i> and new species of <i>Tricostularia</i>. <em>Telopea.</em> 24: 61-169., available online at https://doi.org/10.7751/TELOPEA14844
page(s): 85 [details] Available for editors [request]
page(s): 85 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Isolectotype PERTH
01049585, geounit Western Australia [details] Lectotype K 000960103, geounit Western Australia [details]
01049585, geounit Western Australia [details] Lectotype K 000960103, geounit Western Australia [details]
From editor or global species database
Description Perennial (short-lived) tufted herb, 0.3–1.3 m high; plants clonal, 0.1–0.6 m across; rhizome short, thick, woody, 8–15 mm diam., not pseudobulbous; old leaf sheaths covering the rhizome, not breaking apart into fibres with age, dark brown to blackish brown; roots sand-binding. Culms stout, erect, with 3 or 4 distant, leafy nodes, ± terete, 2.0–5.5 mm diam., multi-striate, glabrous, base not or slightly enlarged. Leaves mostly basal, numerous, and 3 or 4 cauline, reducing in size up the culm, ultimately bract-like; phyllotaxy loosely spirotristichous, sheath pubescent (?glabrescent), tight around culm, 20–45 mm long, 3–6 mm wide, ±equal width to the leaf lamina, dark brown to blackish brown, upper margin glabrous, ligule absent; basal leaves 12–18 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, lamina ±linear, channelled to ± flat, finely multi-striate, pubescent when young, green to bluegreen, paler below, margins sparsely scabrous, sometimes recurved, apex long-attenuate. Inflorescence open, panicle-like, narrow, ± linear, 15–27 cm long, 10–20 mm wide, axis blue-green, yellow-green or pinkish brown, slightly glaucous; bracts leaf-like, shorter than to slightly exceeding the spikelet clusters, basal bract much shorter than inflorescence; branches erect, with 3–10 densely clustered spikelets on short peduncles 1–2 mm long, arising in each bract axil; spikelet prophyll subtending each spikelet glume-like, sheath 3.7–4.1 mm long, pale brown, with 1 indistinct vein, partially enclosing the spikelet, without a lamina. Spikelets pale brown (apex of glumes reddish when young), very narrow-ovoid, 8–10 mm long, laterally compressed, with usually 5 glumes, glabrous but cell surface raised so appears very finely papillose at 20× magnification, only topmost 2 fertile, the lower flower bisexual but often reduced and infertile, the upper flower bisexual, fertile, lower glume 6–7 mm long, fertile glumes 7–9 mm long, 1.6–2.1 mm wide, glabrous, acute to obtuse with a mucro to 1.5 mm long; rachilla compact and not sinuous in fruiting spikelets. Perianth segments absent. Stamens (3)6 in upper flower, 6 in lower flower; anther connective 5–7 mm long, linear; anthers yellow, 5.5–6.5 mm long, with a scaberulous apical appendage up to 1 mm long. Style trifid, base 5–7 mm long, not dilated, glabrous, branches 2.5–3.0 mm long. Nutlet sessile, ovoid to ellipsoid, 4.9–5.4 mm long, 2.0–2.3 mm diam., smooth, epidermal cells square–hexagonal, inconspicuous, with 4 or 5 distinctly raised white ribs that broaden and fuse with the apex, apex with a very distinct persistent style base, broadly subconical to pyramidal, somewhat constricted at the base, to 1.4 mm long, finely hispidulous; embryo not examined. Photosynthetic pathway not examined. 1C = 0.49 pg (BGPA 20100981; Bureš et al. 2013). [details]Distribution Apparently endemic to the greater Perth region, occurring on the eastern side of the Swan Coastal Plain, from Busselton, Mundijong and Waroona, north to Serpentine. Historical populations near the Perth suburbs of Armadale and Canning are apparently now extinct. [details]
Habitat Usually in winter-wet swampy depressions, drainage lines or sandy rises adjacent swamps, growing in grey sand over clay or yellow and sandy or clayey lateritic soils. [details]
IUCN Red List Category Conservation status for Western Australian Flora: Declared Rare Flora (Vulnerable); previously believed to be extinct until rediscovered in 1993, (Hopper 1990; Keighery 1993; Brown et al. 2008). Twelve populations contain around 1,500 individuals, though fluctuating greatly between fire events. Three populations occur in nature reserves, while nine populations are in state forest or on private land (Department of Environment 2020). [details]
Identification Differs from Morelotia octandra in its 3 or 4 (vs 0 or 1) nodes below the inflorescence; pubescent (at least when young) (vs glabrous) leaf sheath; leaf lamina 12–18 (vs 15–60) cm long; spikelets 8–10 (vs 10–15) mm long; 5 glabrous (vs 7–9 scabrous to pubescent) glumes; rachilla compact (vs curved around the nutlet); and usually 6 (vs usually 8) anthers. [details]
Reproduction Flowers recorded for October–February, usually one year post-fire. Fruit recorded for January, February, June and October. [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| English | Southern TetrariaLeafy Sedge | [details] |
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (2 publications)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (9 publications) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To Genève Herbarium (Tetraria australiensis G00195291 syntype 1) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To Genève Herbarium (Tetraria australiensis G00195292 syntype 1) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To the Natural History Museum, London (Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke BM000798892 type 1) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (9 publications) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To Genève Herbarium (Tetraria australiensis G00195291 syntype 1) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To Genève Herbarium (Tetraria australiensis G00195292 syntype 1) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
To the Natural History Museum, London (Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke BM000798892 type 1) (from synonym Tetraria australiensis C.B.Clarke)
