Pointed Mat-rush,
Soft Tussock Mat-rush
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.


Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
Display IBRA region text
Fleurieu (KAN02) | Kanmantoo | Least Concern |
Mount Lofty Ranges (FLB01) | Flinders Lofty Block | Least Concern |
Broughton (FLB02) | | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
Olary Spur (FLB03) | | Rare (IUCN: RA ab) (Definite Decline) |
Southern Flinders (FLB04) | | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
Central Flinders (FLB06) | | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii); D2) (Probable Decline) [climate sensitive] |
Southern Yorke (EYB01) | Eyre Yorke Block | Rare (IUCN: RA ab) (Definite Decline) [habitat loss] |
St Vincent (EYB02) | | Rare (IUCN: RA ab) (Definite Decline) [habitat loss] |
Murray Mallee (MDD02) | Murray Darling Depression | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) (Probable Decline) [edge of range] |
Murray Lakes and Coorong (MDD03) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) (Probable Decline) [edge of range] |
Botanical art
Kath Alcock painting: 1
Common names
Pointed Mat-rush
Soft Tussock Mat-rush
Etymology
Lomandra, from the Greek 'loma', meaning edge, border or fringe and 'andros,' meaning a male, alluding to the circular margin of the anthers in some species. Densiflora from Latin for densely flowered.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found in the Mount Lofty and Flinders Ranges, in open woodlands. Native. Common in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Dioecious perennial tussock herb with bright green rigid leaves with 3 tiny points at the tip, to 60 cm long; basal sheaths becoming fibrous. Flower white. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are ovoid to globular capsule to 6 mm long; smooth, truncate at the summit, sometimes slightly curved. Seeds are yellow-brown, rounded wedge-shaped seed to 6 mm long and 3 mm wide. Seed embryo type is linear, underdeveloped.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and December. Collect mature fruits, turning brown with a hard seed inside, or when they are starting to split. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate 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 two collections, the seed viability was high, at 100%. This species has morpho-physiological dormancy and will germinate slowly over weeks to months.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature | BGA MSB | 3,000 (38.1 g) 2,400 (30.45 g) | 50+ | 21-Nov-2006 | DJD695 Southern Lofty | 1-Aug-2007 | 100% | -18°C |
BGA | 7,200 (108.72 g) | | 20-Nov-2013 | JRG83 Murray | 1-Nov-2017 | 100% | -18°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.
Germination table:
Display
Date | Result | T0 | T50 | Pre-treatment | Germination medium | Incubator: Photoperiod / Thermoperiod |
Sep-14 | 90% | 28 | 35 |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid + 20% smoke water for 24 h; moist sand; Incubated under winter conditions |
Sep-14 | 80% | 28 | 42 |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid for 24 h; moist sand; Incubated under winter conditions |
Mar-15 | 69% | 28 | 49 |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, 10% smoke water 24 h; moist sand; 12/12; / 15°C |
Sep-14 | 64% | 35 | NA |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, dry heat 35°C oven for 6 weeks with 24 h wet cycle once a week, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid for 24 h; moist sand; Incubated under winter conditions |
Mar-14 | 32% | 56 | NA |
1000 mg/L gibberellic acid 24 h; moist sand; 12/12; / 15°C |
Sep-14 | 32% | 35 | NA |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, dry heat 35°C oven for 6 weeks, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid for 24 h; moist sand; 12/12; / 15°C |
Mar-15 | 28% | 35 | NA |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse; moist sand; 12/12; / 15°C |
Mar-15 | 23% | 28 | NA |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid 72 h; moist sand; 12/12; / 15°C |
Sep-14 | 22% | 42 | NA |
dry heat 90°C oven 15 min, 30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid + 10% smoke water for 24 h; moist sand; Incubated under winter conditions |
Mar-14 | 16% | 56 | NA |
leached in water 24 h; moist sand; 12/12; / 15°C |
Mar-15 | 14% | 28 | NA |
30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, water rinse, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid 72 h, 10% smoke water 24 h; moist sand; 12/12; / 15°C |
Sep-14 | 8% | 42 | NA |
dry heat 90°C oven 15 min, 30% hydrogen peroxide 15 min, 1000 mg/L gibberellic acid 24 h; moist sand; Incubated under winter conditions |
Result: Maximum percentage of germination observed.
T0: Number of days before first germinant observed.
T50: Number of days to achieve 50% germination.
Pre-treatment: The initial treatment that the seeds received prior to placement on germination media.
Germination medium: The substrate that seeds were placed on for the duration of the germination experiment.
Incubator conditions:
Photoperiod: The duration of light exposure that the seeds were subject to during a 24 hour period.
Thermoperiod: The constant or diurnal temperatures that seeds were subject to during a 24 hour period.
Winter conditions: 15°C 20 h (3am→11pm); 5°C 4 h (11pm→3am) / 10 h light (8am→6pm); 14 h dark (6pm→8am)
Spring/Autumn conditions: 22°C 12 h (8am→8pm); 10°C 12 h (8pm→8am) / 12 h light (8am→8pm); 12 h dark (8pm→8am)
Summer conditions: 30°C 14 h (6am→8pm); 15°C 10 h (8pm→6am) / 14 h light (6am→8pm); 10 h dark (8pm→6am)