Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Poales Small
Family
Cyperaceae Juss.
Genus
Machaerina Vahl
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Machaerina arthrophylla (Nees) T.Koyama, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 69: 62 (1956)
Synonymy:
  • ≡ Chapelliera arthrophylla Nees (1848)
  • ≡ Baumea arthrophylla (Nees) Boeckeler (1874)
  • ≡ Cladium arthrophyllum (Nees) Boeckeler (1875)
  • ≡ Gahnia arthrophylla (Nees) F.Muell (1889)
  • ≡ Mariscus arthrophyllus (Nees) Kuntze (1891)
  • = Cladium huttonii Kirk, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 9: 551 (1877)
  • ≡ Machaerina huttonii (Kirk) T.Koyama, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 69: 64 (1956)
  • ≡ Baumea huttonii (Kirk) S.T.Blake (1969)
 Description

Rhizome c. 3 mm. diam., hard and woody, covered with very loose bracts. Culms 50–120 cm. × 1–2 mm., terete. Lowermost lvs reduced to sheathing bracts, light brown; upper lvs 1–3, terete like the stems, internally septate, tips acute. Panicle 10–40 cm. long, rounded at the tip, interrupted, branchlets drooping, in distant fascicles, the lowermost often remote, the stoutest lateral branchlet arising from lowest spathaceous bract < 1 mm. diam., us. only c. 0.5 mm. diam.; bracts large, membr., acuminate, spathaceous, light greenish brown. Spikelets , 3–3.5–(4.5) mm. long, approximate and rather evenly distributed along the branchlets, brown, 2–4-fld, us. only 2 lowest fls fertile. Glumes 4–7, ovate, acute, or acuminate, membr., pale brown below, red towards the tip and scabrid; margins ciliate. Nut 2–2.5 × c. 1 mm., oblong, trigonous, smooth, whitish, beak small.

[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2 as Baumea huttonii (Kirk) S.T.Blake]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Non-endemic)
 Bibliography
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Not Threatened]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Not Threatened]
Harden, G.J. (ed.) 1993: Flora of New South Wales. Vol. 4. NSW Univ. Press, Kensington. [as Baumea arthrophylla (Nees) Boeckeler; Baumea huttonii (Kirk) S.T.Blake; Cladium huttonii Kirk]
Kirk, T. 1877: Descriptions of new plants. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 9: 547–552.
Koyama, T. 1956: Taxonomic Study of Cyperaceae V. Botanical Magazine (Tokyo) 69: 59–67.