''Baumea acuta'', commonly known as pale twig-rush, is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the sedge family,

Cyperaceae The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 ...

, that is native to southern parts of Australia.

Description

The grass-like plant is rhizomatous and perennial. It typically grows to a height of and to a width of approximately . It blooms between September and November producing brown flowers.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described as ''Schoenus acutus'' by

Jacques Labillardière Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière (28 October 1755 – 8 January 1834) was a French biologist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the Jean-François de Galaup, comte ...

in 1805. In 1902

Eduard Palla Eduard Palla (3 September 1864 – 7 March 1922) was an Austrian botanist and mycologist of Moravian descent. As a botanist he specialized in research of Cyperaceae (sedges), of which he was the taxonomic authority of many species. From 1883 to ...

reclassified the species as ''Baumea acuta'' as part of the work ''Allgemeine Botanische Zeitschrift fur Systematik''. Several other synonyms exist including ''Baumea schoenoides'', ''Mariscus acutus'', ''Machaerina schoenoides'', ''Chapelliera schoenoides'' and ''Cladium acutum''.

Distribution

It is found along the southern half of the east and west coast of mainland Australia and in coastal areas of Tasmania. On the east coast it extends from coastal areas in southern

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

extending in the far east on the coast of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. It often occurs in dense thickets in winter wet depressions and around swamps along coastal areas in the

Peel Peel or Peeling may refer to: Places Australia * Peel (Western Australia) * Peel, New South Wales * Peel River (New South Wales) Canada * Peel Parish, New Brunswick * Peel, New Brunswick, an unincorporated community in Peel Parish * Pee ...

South West Southwest is a compass point. Southwest, south-west, south west, southwestern or south-western or south western may also refer to: * Southwest (direction), an intercardinal direction Geography *South West Queensland, Australia *South West (Weste ...

, Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance of Western Australia where it grows in damp sandy soils.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15549868 acuta Plants described in 1902 Flora of Western Australia Flora of South Australia Flora of Victoria (state) Flora of New South Wales Flora of Tasmania Flora of Queensland