Botanical art
Prior names
Triglochin striatum, orth.var.
Triglochin striatum, orth.var.
Triglochin decipiens
Triglochin flaccida
Etymology
Triglochin from the Greek 'treis' meaning three and 'glochis' meaning a point; referring to its three-sided carpels. Striata from Latin meaning striped; referring to the streak on the back of the fertile carpels.
Distribution and status
Found in the southern part of South Australia, growing mainly along the coast in periodically inundated salt marshes, swamps, lakes, river edges and mangroves in salt and fresh water. Also found in all states except in the Northern Territory (and New Zealand, the Americas and South Africa). Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Slender rhizomatous perennial herb to 37 cm high. Leaves forming tufts spaced along the rhizome, either terete or flat and strap-like, to 300 mm long and 3 mm wide, sheathed at the base with an obvious ligule at the top of the sheath to 5 mm long. Inflorescence an erect spike to 25 cm long, fruiting part at the top to 18 cm long with 20–200 fruits. Fruits are straw-coloured almost globular fruit to 2 mm long, on stalk to 3 mm long with six seed segments (carpels), 3 fertile alternating with 3 undeveloped sterile ones. Seeds are straw-coloured wedge-shaped seed to 2 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, with 3-ridged dorsally when dry, sterile seed segments remaining attached to the stalk when fertile ones have fallen. Seed embryo type is linear.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between August and May. Collect mature fruits either by breaking off individual spikes or by removing plants that are drying off with fruits that are straw-colour and seed segments coming apart easily. Place the fruit spikes in a tray and leave to dry for 1 to 2 weeks. Then rub the dried fruit spikes with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate any unwanted material. 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. From two collections, the seed viability were average to high, ranging form 80% to 90%.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 15,500 (5.18 g) 15,500 (5.18 g) | 40 | 19-Jan-2005 | DJD98 South Eastern | 28-Mar-2006 | 90% | -18°C |
BGA | 7,400 (2.22 g) | 16-Dec-2006 | RJB70657 Murray | 1-Aug-2007 | 80% | -18°C |