Cyperaceae taxon details
Tricostularia aphylla (R.Br.) K.L.Wilson & R.L.Barrett
Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br. · unaccepted
recent only
Not documented
Type locality contained in Western Australia
type locality contained in Western Australia [from specimen] [view taxon] [view specimen]
Description Perennial tufted herb, 0.3–0.6 m high; plants clonal, forming spreading tussocks 0.1–0.3 m across; rhizome thin, woody,...
Description Perennial tufted herb, 0.3–0.6 m high; plants clonal, forming spreading tussocks 0.1–0.3 m across; rhizome thin, woody, short, branched, 1.6–2.1 mm diam., not pseudobulbous; old leaf sheaths covering the rhizome, not or partly breaking apart into fine fibres with age, pale brown; roots sand-binding. Culms stout, rigid, spreading or sometimes erect, commonly spiralling, but sometimes almost straight, with 1–2(–3) nodes strongly compressed, flat on one surface, slightly convex on the other, irregularly so towards the apex, finely striate, 1.9–3.2 mm diam., smooth, glabrous, bright light green to yellow-green, base not enlarged. Leaves highly reduced, 1–2(–3) cauline; phyllotaxy loosely spirotristichous; sheath 16–31 mm long, 2.1–3.4 mm wide, slightly broader than the leaf lamina, margins finely ciliate, otherwise glabrous, straw-coloured to brown, dull, upper margin firm, oblique, finely ciliate, ligule absent; cauline sheath tight around culm; pseudopetiole obscure or absent; basal leaves few, with only a residual lamina, much shorter than the culms, lamina dorsiventral, 0.6–1.5(–2.4) cm long, 0.7–1.1 mm wide; bases not differentiated, not dividing; lamina ± linear, ± flat to shallowly channelled, ± flexuous, old leaf tips not curling, finely multi-striate, margins very finely scabrid, otherwise glabrous, green, concolorous, slightly keeled along mid-nerve, margins not ribbed, finely scabrous, not recurved, apex long-attenuate; lowest leaves reduced to a sheath, sometimes lacking a lamina, pale brown to brown. Inflorescence panicle-like, narrow, linear, somewhat flexuous but ± erect, with 4–9 nodes, 4.5–9 cm long, 3–9 mm wide, usually not interrupted, axis green or yellow-green, not glaucous; bracts reduced leaf-like, not exceeding the spikelet clusters, sheaths open, not enveloping the higher bracts, gradually reducing along the inflorescence, basal bract much shorter than inflorescence, 9.5–16 mm long; branches erect, with (2–)3–7 spikelets per elongate branchlet; basal branchlet 10–26 mm long; spikelet(s) on short, irregularly-compressed, sparsely scabrous peduncles 1.5–4 mm long, arising in each bract axil; spikelet prophyll present, sheath 3.0–3.3 mm long, brown, with 3 distinct veins, partially enclosing the spikelet, with a slender lamina 0.9–2.2 mm long, brown. Spikelets brown, lanceolate, 4.7–7.2 mm long, 1.7–2.4 mm wide, ± terete to somewhat compressed, with (5–)7 glumes, only topmost 2 or 3 fertile, the lower 1 or 2 flowers male fertile, the upper flower bisexual, fertile, no reduced glume above the florets; glumes subdistichous, basal glume 2.7–3.1 mm long, fertile glumes 4.5–7.0 mm long, 1.5–2.2 mm wide, membranous, very pale red-brown to red-brown, lamina and keel glabrous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, not mucronate, keel weakly distinct, margins somewhat translucent and very finely ciliate; rachilla compact and not sinuous in fruiting spikelets. Perianth segments 6, whitish, 0.8–1.0 mm long, narrowly triangular, flattened, margins ciliate. Stamens 3; anther connective 5.1–6.9 mm long, subulate; anthers pale yellow, 2.0–4.0 mm long, 0.3–0.4 mm wide, with a glabrous apical appendage 0.2–0.5 mm long. Pollen c. triangular-pyramidal in outline, c. 0.025 mm long. Style trifid, base 1.9–2.7 mm long, hispidulous and slender above, glabrous and not or scarcely dilated below, branches 2.7–3.7 mm long, papillose-hispidulous. Nutlet shortly stipitate, stipe c. 0.5 mm long, constricted, obovoid or broad ellipsoid, obscurely trigonous, dull, mid-brown, 2.2–2.4 mm long including the stipe and style base, c. 1.3 mm diam., faces smooth, puberulous, most densely at the apex, with three fine white to pale yellow ribs, style base not enlarged, epidermal cells irregular, inconspicuous; embryo not examined. Photosynthetic pathway inferred from anatomy to be C3 (Whaite 4323A; Wilson 2853; Bruhl & Wilson 2007). 2n = unknown. [details]
Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Tricostularia aphylla (R.Br.) K.L.Wilson & R.L.Barrett. Accessed at: https://cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1825560 on 2025-09-12
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Nomenclature
original description
(of Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.) Brown, R. (1810). Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805 per oras utriusque insulae collegit et descripsit Robertus Brown; insertis passim aliis speciebus auctori hucusque cognitis, seu evulgatis, seu ineditis, praesertim Banksianis, in primo itinere navarchi Cook detectis. Vol. 1 pp. [i]-viii, 145-590 p., [1] h. ["Addenda"]. Londini [London]: typis Richardi Taylori et Scoii. Veneunt apud J. Johnson et Socios, in Caementerio Sancti Pauli., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6157371
page(s): 235 [details]
new combination reference Barrett, R. L.; Wilson, K. L. (2012). A review of the genus Lepidosperma Labill. (Cyperaceae: Schoeneae). Australian Systematic Botany, 25(4): 225-294., available online at https://doi.org/10.1071/SB11037
page(s): 286 [details]
page(s): 235 [details]
new combination reference Barrett, R. L.; Wilson, K. L. (2012). A review of the genus Lepidosperma Labill. (Cyperaceae: Schoeneae). Australian Systematic Botany, 25(4): 225-294., available online at https://doi.org/10.1071/SB11037
page(s): 286 [details]
Other
additional source
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): 112-115 [details] Available for editors
[request]
page(s): 112-115 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
From editor or global species database
Description Perennial tufted herb, 0.3–0.6 m high; plants clonal, forming spreading tussocks 0.1–0.3 m across; rhizome thin, woody, short, branched, 1.6–2.1 mm diam., not pseudobulbous; old leaf sheaths covering the rhizome, not or partly breaking apart into fine fibres with age, pale brown; roots sand-binding. Culms stout, rigid, spreading or sometimes erect, commonly spiralling, but sometimes almost straight, with 1–2(–3) nodes strongly compressed, flat on one surface, slightly convex on the other, irregularly so towards the apex, finely striate, 1.9–3.2 mm diam., smooth, glabrous, bright light green to yellow-green, base not enlarged. Leaves highly reduced, 1–2(–3) cauline; phyllotaxy loosely spirotristichous; sheath 16–31 mm long, 2.1–3.4 mm wide, slightly broader than the leaf lamina, margins finely ciliate, otherwise glabrous, straw-coloured to brown, dull, upper margin firm, oblique, finely ciliate, ligule absent; cauline sheath tight around culm; pseudopetiole obscure or absent; basal leaves few, with only a residual lamina, much shorter than the culms, lamina dorsiventral, 0.6–1.5(–2.4) cm long, 0.7–1.1 mm wide; bases not differentiated, not dividing; lamina ± linear, ± flat to shallowly channelled, ± flexuous, old leaf tips not curling, finely multi-striate, margins very finely scabrid, otherwise glabrous, green, concolorous, slightly keeled along mid-nerve, margins not ribbed, finely scabrous, not recurved, apex long-attenuate; lowest leaves reduced to a sheath, sometimes lacking a lamina, pale brown to brown. Inflorescence panicle-like, narrow, linear, somewhat flexuous but ± erect, with 4–9 nodes, 4.5–9 cm long, 3–9 mm wide, usually not interrupted, axis green or yellow-green, not glaucous; bracts reduced leaf-like, not exceeding the spikelet clusters, sheaths open, not enveloping the higher bracts, gradually reducing along the inflorescence, basal bract much shorter than inflorescence, 9.5–16 mm long; branches erect, with (2–)3–7 spikelets per elongate branchlet; basal branchlet 10–26 mm long; spikelet(s) on short, irregularly-compressed, sparsely scabrous peduncles 1.5–4 mm long, arising in each bract axil; spikelet prophyll present, sheath 3.0–3.3 mm long, brown, with 3 distinct veins, partially enclosing the spikelet, with a slender lamina 0.9–2.2 mm long, brown. Spikelets brown, lanceolate, 4.7–7.2 mm long, 1.7–2.4 mm wide, ± terete to somewhat compressed, with (5–)7 glumes, only topmost 2 or 3 fertile, the lower 1 or 2 flowers male fertile, the upper flower bisexual, fertile, no reduced glume above the florets; glumes subdistichous, basal glume 2.7–3.1 mm long, fertile glumes 4.5–7.0 mm long, 1.5–2.2 mm wide, membranous, very pale red-brown to red-brown, lamina and keel glabrous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, not mucronate, keel weakly distinct, margins somewhat translucent and very finely ciliate; rachilla compact and not sinuous in fruiting spikelets. Perianth segments 6, whitish, 0.8–1.0 mm long, narrowly triangular, flattened, margins ciliate. Stamens 3; anther connective 5.1–6.9 mm long, subulate; anthers pale yellow, 2.0–4.0 mm long, 0.3–0.4 mm wide, with a glabrous apical appendage 0.2–0.5 mm long. Pollen c. triangular-pyramidal in outline, c. 0.025 mm long. Style trifid, base 1.9–2.7 mm long, hispidulous and slender above, glabrous and not or scarcely dilated below, branches 2.7–3.7 mm long, papillose-hispidulous. Nutlet shortly stipitate, stipe c. 0.5 mm long, constricted, obovoid or broad ellipsoid, obscurely trigonous, dull, mid-brown, 2.2–2.4 mm long including the stipe and style base, c. 1.3 mm diam., faces smooth, puberulous, most densely at the apex, with three fine white to pale yellow ribs, style base not enlarged, epidermal cells irregular, inconspicuous; embryo not examined. Photosynthetic pathway inferred from anatomy to be C3 (Whaite 4323A; Wilson 2853; Bruhl & Wilson 2007). 2n = unknown. [details]
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (5 publications) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To GenBank (3 nucleotides; 0 proteins) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To the Natural History Museum, London (Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br. BM000991101 type 1) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To the Natural History Museum, London (Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br. BM000991102 type 1) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To GenBank (3 nucleotides; 0 proteins) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To International Plant Names Index (IPNI) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To Plants of the World Online (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To the Natural History Museum, London (Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br. BM000991101 type 1) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
To the Natural History Museum, London (Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br. BM000991102 type 1) (from synonym Lepidosperma aphyllum R.Br.)
