Machaerina rubiginosa (PROSEA)
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Introduction |
Machaerina rubiginosa (Spreng.) T. Koyama
- Family: Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Cladium glomeratum R. Br., C. rubiginosum (Spreng.) Domin., Fuirena rubiginosa Spreng.
Vernacular names
- Indonesia: rumput pohon (general), walingi (Sundanese), endong (Javanese)
- Papua New Guinea: kalke ka (Kaugel), gouldi (Enga).
Distribution
From Sri Lanka and India through South-East Asia to Japan, Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. In Malesia in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, West and Central Java, the Moluccas (Buru), the Philippines (Mindanao) and New Guinea.
Uses
In Sumatra and West Java the leaves are sometimes used for making mats, which are of low quality because they are not damp-proof. In New Guinea they are used as temporary tying material and for plaiting children's baskets. In Australia M. rubiginosa is made into bags.
Observations
A perennial herb, up to 1.8 m tall, with a short rhizome emitting long horizontal stolons. Stems tufted, slender, compressed biconvex to subterete, 30-180 cm × 2-6 mm, pithy. Leaves distichously arranged, basal ones up to as long as the stem, biconvex to subterete, spongy, 2-7 mm wide, cauline leaf long-sheathing with a short blade. Inflorescence paniculate, erect, narrow, dense or interrupted, 10-50 cm long, consisting of 3-7 fascicles of branches, lower ones distant and often solitary, upper ones approximate and 2-4 together and erect, rigid, scaberulous, much shorter than lower ones; spikelets in numerous clusters, 2-3-flowered, lanceolate to ovoid, 4-7 mm × 2-2.5 mm; bristles absent; stamens 3, anthers with distinct short appendage to the connective; pistil with thick, pubescent style-base, persistent in fruit, stigmas 3. Fruit a sessile nut, ellipsoid, 3-5 mm × 1.5-2 mm, trigonous, orange to red-brown. M. rubiginosa is extremely polymorphic and the extremes look like different species. Sometimes 2 subspecies are distinguished:
- subsp. rubiginosa , with subglobose partial panicles, spikelets 4-6 mm long, fruits 3.5-4 mm long, leaves narrow, up to 5 mm wide; occurring in the eastern part of the distribution area, including eastern Malesia;
- subsp. crassa (Thwaites) T. Koyama (synonym: Cladium crassum Kük.), with narrow panicles, spikelets about 7 mm long, fruits 4-5 mm long, leaves 3.5-11 mm wide, occurring in the western part, including western Malesia.
M. rubiginosa is found in swamps and on lake margins, up to 2700(-3200) m altitude. It is sometimes dominant over wide areas of a marsh, but only successful where the plant base is below the water table.
Selected sources
6, 39, 47, 158.
Authors
M. Brink, P.C.M. Jansen & C.H. Bosch
