Isolepis cernua

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Family Cyperaceae

Taxonomy: Isolepis cernua (Vahl) Roem. & Schult.

Synonyms: 22 (APC 2026-07-30)

Fimbristylis pygmaea Vahl (taxonomic synonym)
Fimbristylis pygmaeum Vahl (taxonomic synonym)
Isolepis cernua (Vahl) Roem. & Schult. var. cernua (nomenclatural synonym)
Isolepis cernua var. setiformis (S.T.Blake) Muasya (taxonomic synonym)
Isolepis punctulata Steud. (taxonomic synonym)
Isolepis pygmaea (Vahl) Kunth (taxonomic synonym)
Isolepis riparia R.Br. (taxonomic synonym)
Isolepis saviana Schult. (taxonomic synonym)
Isolepis setiformis (S.T.Blake) K.L.Wilson (taxonomic synonym)
Isolepis striatella Steud. (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus arenarius Benth. (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus arenarius var. setiformis Benth. (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus cernuus Vahl (nomenclatural synonym)
Scirpus cernuus Vahl var. cernuus (nomenclatural synonym)
Scirpus psammophilus S.T.Blake (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus riparia Poir. (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus riparius (R.Br.) Poir. (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus riparius (R.Br.) Spreng. (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus savii Sebast. & Mauri (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus setaceus var. pygmaeus (Vahl) Boeckeler (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus setaceus var. savii (Sebast. & Mauri) Boeckeler (taxonomic synonym)
Scirpus setiformis S.T.Blake (taxonomic synonym)

Distribution (APC): WA, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, SA eFlora, Vic Flora, Florabase, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: Cheal_2017 (4), Cross_2009 (4), Draper_2023 (3), Jordan_2001 (7), Kew_2019_1 (5), Kubiak_2009 (2), Mokany_2015 (2), Morgan_2011_1 (5), NHNSW_2014_2 (1), NHNSW_2022 (4), NHNSW_2023 (10), RBGK_2014 (1), RBGV_2022 (5), RBGV_2023 (10), SAH_2014 (1), SAH_2022 (3), SAH_2023 (4), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Tsakalos_2020 (14), WAH_1998 (1), WAH_2022_2 (12), WAH_2023_2 (9), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), Wheeler_2002 (13), White_2020 (75), Williams_2011 (9). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 58 traits from 211 records in 27 datasets.

Traits by category (click to expand). For categorical traits, the values are listed. For numerical traits, the mean and range are shown.

fire response

resprouting_capacity (categorical): fire_killed (4); resprouts (2) [sources: Cheal_2017; Kubiak_2009; White_2020]

flower morphology

sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (2); monoecious (1) [sources: Jordan_2001; Sjostrom_2006]

fruit morphology

fruit_length (numerical): 0.9 mm (0.8-1 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
fruit_width (numerical): 0.65 mm (0.5-0.8 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
fruit_height (numerical): 0.65 mm (0.5-0.8 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
fruit_type (categorical): nut (7) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006; WAH_2023_2]
fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (3) [sources: Jordan_2001; Sjostrom_2006; Tsakalos_2020]
fruit_dehiscence (categorical): indehiscent (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
fruit_colour (categorical): brown (3); grey (2); yellow (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]

leaf morphology

leaf_area (numerical): 188.5 mm2 (188.5-188.5 mm2) [sources: Mokany_2015]
leaf_length (numerical): 40 mm (40-40 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
leaf_width (numerical): 40 mm (40-40 mm) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 41.29 g/m2 (41.29-41.29 g/m2) [sources: Cross_2009]
leaf_shape (categorical): linear (2) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
leaf_base_shape (categorical): sheathing (1) [sources: SAH_2023]
leaf_margin (categorical): entire (1) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]
leaf_lobation (categorical): unlobed (2) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (3) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; Wheeler_2002]
leaf_glaucousness (categorical): not_glaucous (2) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]
leaf_hairs_adult_leaves (categorical): glabrous (1) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]
plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (1) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]

life history

photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (5); c4 (1) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; White_2020; Williams_2011]
plant_growth_form (categorical): graminoid (7); herb (8); tussock (5) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022; Wheeler_2002; White_2020; Williams_2011]
life_form (categorical): hemicryptophyte (2) [sources: Morgan_2011_1; Williams_2011]
life_history (categorical): annual (3); perennial (10) [sources: Cross_2009; Jordan_2001; Morgan_2011_1; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2023; Wheeler_2002]
plant_growth_substrate (categorical): aquatic (1) [sources: RBGV_2022]
woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (8) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
stem_growth_habit (categorical): caespitose (2); erect (3); rhizomatous (6) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2]
nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (5) [sources: White_2020; Williams_2011]
root_structure (categorical): arbuscular_mycorrhizal (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (5) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]
pollination_syndrome (categorical): abiotic (4); wind (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
pollination_system (categorical): abiotic (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
dispersal_syndrome (categorical): barochory (1); epizoochory (4); undefined (1); zoochory (1) [sources: Draper_2023; Morgan_2011_1; White_2020; Williams_2011]
dispersers (categorical): abiotic (1); animals (1); birds (4) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
flowering_time (categorical): ynnnnnnyyyyy (1); yynnnnnnyyyy (5); yynnnyyyyyyy (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_1998; White_2020]
seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): persistent (4) [sources: White_2020]
vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (4); vegetative (1) [sources: Morgan_2011_1; White_2020]
clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): rhizome (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
storage_organ (categorical): rhizome (6) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; WAH_2023_2]

seed morphology

seed_dry_mass (numerical): 0.13 mg (0.11-0.21 mg) [sources: Cross_2009; Kew_2019_1; RBGK_2014]
seed_length (numerical): 0.7 mm (0.7-0.7 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
seed_width (numerical): 0.4 mm (0.4-0.4 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]

whole plant morphology

plant_height (numerical): 0.22 m (0.1-0.3 m) [sources: Mokany_2015; SAH_2014; WAH_2023_2; Wheeler_2002]
plant_physical_defence_structures (categorical): absent (5) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]

Sources

dataset_id	n_traits	n_records	reference
White_2020	19	75	M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
Tsakalos_2020	13	14	J. L. Tsakalos, M. Renton, F. Riviera, E. J. Veneklaas, M. P. Dobrowolski, and L. Mucina. “Trait-based formal definition of plant functional types and functional communities in the multi-species and multi-traits context”. Ecological Complexity 40 (2019), p. 100787. doi: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2019.100787.
Wheeler_2002	7	13	J. R. Wheeler, N. G. Marchant, and M. Lewington. Flora of the south west: Bunbury, Augusta, Denmark. Australian Biological Resources Study ; University of Western Australia Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780642568168.
WAH_2022_2	4	12	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
NHNSW_2023	7	10	N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
RBGV_2023	7	10	VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
WAH_2023_2	3	9	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
Williams_2011	9	9	R. P. Duncan, S. E. Clemants, R. T. Corlett, A. K. Hahs, M. A. McCarthy, M. J. McDonnell, M. W. Schwartz, K. Thompson, P. A. Vesk, and N. S. G. Williams. “Plant traits and extinction in urban areas: a meta-analysis of 11 cities”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20.4 (2011), pp. 509-519. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00633.x.
Jordan_2001	7	7	G. J. Jordan. “An investigation of long-distance dispersal based on species native to both Tasmania and New Zealand”. Australian Journal of Botany 49.3 (2001), pp. 333-340. doi: 10.1071/bt00024.
Kew_2019_1	1	5	Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Morgan_2011_1	5	5	J. Morgan. “Unpublished data: Grassy woodland traits, La Trobe University”. 2011.
RBGV_2022	5	5	VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Cheal_2017	4	4	D. Cheal. Growth stages and tolerable fire intervals for Victoria's native vegetation data sets. Fire and adaptive management, report no. 84. Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, 2010.
Cross_2009	4	4	E. Cross. “The characteristics of natives and invaders: A trait-based investigation into the theory of limiting similarity.”. Honours. La Trobe University, 2009.
NHNSW_2022	4	4	N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
SAH_2023	4	4	S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
Sjostrom_2006	4	4	A. Sjöström and C. L. Gross. “Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms”. Journal of Biogeography 33.2 (2006), pp. 271-290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01393.x.
Draper_2023	3	3	J. T. Draper, S. Delean, J. G. Conran, P. Weinstein, and B. S. Simpson. “Life-history characteristics and climate correlates of dioecious plant species in central southern Australia”. Australian Journal of Botany unknown.unknown (2023), p. unknown. doi: 10.1071/BT22110.
SAH_2022	3	3	S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
Kubiak_2009	2	2	P. J. Kubiak. “Fire responses of bushland plants after the January 1994 wildfires in northern Sydney”. Cunninghamia 11.1 (2009), pp. 131-165.
Mokany_2015	2	2	K. Mokany, J. J. Thomson, A. J. J. Lynch, G. J. Jordan, and S. Ferrier. “Linking changes in community composition and function under climate change”. Ecological Applications 25.8 (2015), pp. 2132-2141. doi: 10.1890/14-2384.1.
Wenk_2022	2	2	E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
NHNSW_2014_2	1	1	Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
RBGK_2014	1	1	Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID). 2014. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
SAH_2014	1	1	J. P. Jessop and H. R. Toelken. Flora of South Australia, 4th edition, 4 vols. Electronic version curated by J. Kellermann, State Herbarium of South Australia.. Government Printer, Adelaide, 1986.
WAH_1998	1	1	Western Australian Herbarium. FloraBase: The Western Australian flora. 1998. url: http://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au.
Wenk_2023	1	1	E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.