Eurychorda complanata

plant: Eurychorda complanata plant habit Tin Hut Creek

plant: Eurychorda complanata DJD3241 plant Tin Hut Creek KI 7

plant: Butterfly egg on leaf of Eurychorda complanta Kangaroo Is

plant: Eurychorda complanata 2yrs after fire DEM10041 Burgess Lagoon

flower: Eurychorda complanata female flower Tin Hut Creek KI (4)

flower: Eurychorda complanata male flower Tin Hut Creek KI

flower: Eurychorda complanata male flowers Tin Hut Creek 1

flower: Eurychorda complanata female fl Denzel Murfet Tin Hut Creek

flower: Eurychorda complanata male fl Denzel Murfet Tin Hut Creek

fruit: Eurychorda complanata DJD3241 seedhead Tin Hut Creek KI 12

fruit: Eurychorda complanata seedhead Tin Hut Creek Kangaroo Island

fruit: Eurychorda complanata seedhead Tin Hut Creek Kangaroo Is

fruit: Eurychorda complanata seedheads Tin Hut Creek Kangaroo Is

fruit: Eurychordia complanata fr Denzel Murfet KI

fruit: Eurychorda complanata DJD3241 Fruit

fruit: Eurychordia complanata frt Denzel Murfet KI

seed: Eurychorda complanata DJD3241 seed

seed: Eurychorda complanata DJD3241 seeds

seedling: Eurychorda complanata sdlg Denzel Murfet Tin Hut Creek

seedling: Eurychorda complanata sdlng Denzel Murfet Tin Hut Creek

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

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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 2.

Etymology

Eurychorda possible from the Greek 'eury' meaning broad and 'khorde' meaning chord or sting, referring to the string-like stems or that the stems were used as string. Complanata means flattened, referring to the flattened stems.

Distribution and status

Currently known only from the western side of Kangaroo Island in South Australia, with an old record from the lower South-east, growing on the edge of creeks in damp heath. Also found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Kangaroo Island, South Eastern
NRM regions: Kangaroo Island, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Soft drooping perennial sedge with flattened, glabrous stems to 100 cm long. Leaves reduced to small scales at the base of the culms. The flat, wiry culms have small drooping branchlets of male and female flowers. Flowering between October to February. Fruits are brown spike at the tip of stems. Seeds are tiny brown ellipsoid seed to 1.2 mm long and 0.8 mm wide, with a fine reticulated surface. Seed embryo type is broad.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between November and April. Collection mature heads, those turning brown. Either cut the whole heads or strip the fruit from the heads with your hands. 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.

Fire Response

Obligate re-sprouter and re-seeder. Seedlings observed as well as basal resprouting from adult plants that were not completely burnt.

Longevity: >20 years

Time to flowering: 4 to 5 years

Recovery Work

In 2020-2021 this species was assessed post-fire in 1 year and 2 year old fire scars. Further populations will be assessed and seeds collected on Kangaroo Island in 2021–2022. Germination screening testing the response to fire cues will be undertaken in 2021.This project was supported by the Project Phoenix program.

Seeds stored:

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Location	No. of seeds (weight grams)	Number of plants	Date collected	Collection number Collection location	Date stored	% Viability	Storage temperature
BGA	600 (0.4268 g)	5	4-May-2006	DJD481 Kangaroo Island	8-Aug-2006	55%	-18°C
BGA	820 (0.34 g)	6	15-Nov-2006	TST95 Kangaroo Island	1-Aug-2007	100%	-18°C
BGA	8,000 (4.06 g)	5	13-Dec-2016	DJD3241 Kangaroo Island	1-Nov-2017	100%	+5°C, -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.

Germination table:

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Date	Result	T0	T50	Pre-treatment \| Germination medium \| Incubator: Photoperiod / Thermoperiod
Jun-17	66%	28	70	dry heat 100Â°C oven for 10 min, 30% hydrogen peroxide for 20 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under spring/autumn conditions
Jun-17	33%	70	NA	dry heat 100Â°C oven for 10 min, 30% hydrogen peroxide for 20 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under summer conditions
Jun-17	33%	42	NA	dry heat 100Â°C oven for 10 min, 30% hydrogen peroxide for 20 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under winter conditions
Jun-17	17%	42	NA	30% hydrogen peroxide for 20 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under spring/autumn conditions
Jun-17	7%	70	NA	30% hydrogen peroxide for 20 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; Incubated under summer conditions
Jun-17	0%	NA	NA	30% hydrogen peroxide for 20 min, water rinse, 500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 44 h; 1% agar; 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)

Mount Gambier (SVP02)	Southern Volcanic Plain	Critically Endangered (IUCN: CR D) [possibly extinct]
Kangaroo Island (KAN01)	Kanmantoo	Vulnerable (IUCN: VU D2) [hard to find; has had taxonomic changes]