Plants of
South Australia
Cladium procerum
Cyperaceae
Leafy Twig-rush
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Vulnerable
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Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
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Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 4

Prior names

Machaerina procera

Cladium mariscus

Etymology

Cladium from the Greek 'clados' meaning a branchlet, referring to the panicles. Procerum from the Latin 'procerus' meaning high, tall or long, referring to its tall robust habit.

Distribution and status

Found in northern and southern Flinders Ranges, southern Mount Lofty Ranges and lower South-east in South Australia growing in coastal swamps and margins of deep water creeks. Also found in all mainland States. Native. Rare in South Australia. Rare in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Victoria. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Northern Lofty, Murray, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Tall rhizomatous perennial sedge forming large clumps. Leaves with blade to 2.5 m long and 20 mm wide with yellow-brown sheath. Flower-spike long, interrupted-oblong in outline to 35 cm long and 9 cm diameter, with red-brown glumes. Flowering late spring to summer. Fruits are large red-brown fruiting spike. Seeds are brown ellipsoid to ovoid nut to 2 mm long and 1 mm wide, with a smooth surface. Seed embryo type is capitate.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between December and April. Collect heads that are dying off, turning brown and containing hard seeds. Place the heads in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the heads 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. Seed viability is usually high.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB
33,400 (60.15 g)
33,400 (60.15 g)
100+14-Feb-2006DJD385
South Eastern
28-Jul-200670%+5°C, -18°C
BGA2,500 (4.79 g)319-Apr-2007DJD796
Southern Lofty
1-Aug-200785%+5°C, -18°C
BGA4,300 (7.8 g)313-Apr-2007Willodene Macclesfield
Southern Lofty
1-Aug-200765%+5°C, -18°C
BGA6,000 (10.86 g)228-Jan-2010KHB363
Flinders Ranges
1-Jun-201090%-18°C
BGA105,650 (185.130 g)25+4-Apr-2023BKB186
Southern Lofty
20-Jun-202375%-18°C, -80°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
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.