Botanical art
Prior names
Chorizandra sp.
Common names
Southern Bristle-sedge
Bristle-rush
Bristle-sedge
Etymology
Chorizandra from the Greek 'chorizo' meaning to separate and 'aner' meaning a male; referring to the male flowers. Australis means of or from the south, or Australia.
Distribution and status
Found only in the lower South-east in South Australia from near Kingston, the Coorong and Glencoe growing in swamps and around waterholes in still or slow-flowing water. Also found in Tasmania and Victoria. Native. Rare in South Australia. Uncommon in Victoria. Common in Tasmania.
Herbarium region: South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Perennial sedge with a tough stem that grows up to 2 m in height. It is yellow-green, hollow stemmed (easily compressed) with longitudinal striations and globular flower heads. Flowers in spring and summer. Fruits are dense, bristly brown, spherical flower-heads, dark purplish-black when young. Seeds are woody brown ovoid nut to 4 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, with deep striation on the surface. Seed embryo type is capitate.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between December and March. Collect heads that are brown and come off easily with your fingers. Place the heads in a tray and leave to dry for a week. Then rub the heads gently with a rubber bung to dislodge the seed. Use a sieve to separated the 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 one collection, the seed viability was high, at 80%.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSB | 1,150 (6.4 g) | 31-Jan-2006 | HPV2944 South Eastern | ||||
| BGA | 12,200 (90.19 g) | 50+ | 13-Dec-2007 | TST290 South Eastern | 19-Sep-2008 | 80% | +5°C, -18°C |
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.