Machaerina juncea

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Family Cyperaceae

Taxonomy: Machaerina juncea (R.Br.) T.Koyama

Synonyms: 8 (APC 2026-07-30)

Baumea juncea (R.Br.) Palla (nomenclatural synonym)
Chapelliera juncea (R.Br.) Nees (nomenclatural synonym)
Cladium junceum R.Br. (nomenclatural synonym)
Cladium junceum R.Br. var. junceum (nomenclatural synonym)
Cladium ouveanum (Daniker) Guillaumin (doubtful taxonomic synonym)
Gahnia juncea (R.Br.) F.Muell. (nomenclatural synonym)
Mariscus junceus (R.Br.) Kuntze (nomenclatural synonym)
Mariscus ouveanus Daniker (doubtful taxonomic synonym)

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

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

Traits

Top source datasets: Detombeur_2025 (56), Draper_2023 (3), Hughes_1992 (3), Jordan_2001 (7), Kubiak_2009 (4), Metcalfe_2020_1 (18), Mokany_2015 (2), Morgan_2011_1 (5), NHNSW_2014_2 (4), NHNSW_2022 (4), NHNSW_2023 (10), NSWFRD_2014 (7), RBGV_2022 (4), RBGV_2023 (9), SAH_2014 (1), SAH_2023 (3), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Tsakalos_2020 (17), WAH_1998 (1), WAH_2022_2 (4), WAH_2023_2 (3), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), Wheeler_2002 (10), White_2020 (19), Williams_2011 (7), eFLOWER_Dun_2022 (10). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 80 traits from 218 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): resprouts (5) [sources: Kubiak_2009; NSWFRD_2014; Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]
post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment_absent (1) [sources: NSWFRD_2014]
fire_time_from_fire_to_flowering (numerical): 6 mo (6-6 mo) [sources: NSWFRD_2014]

flower morphology

flower_colour (categorical): red_brown (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (3); monoecious (1) [sources: Jordan_2001; Metcalfe_2020_1; Sjostrom_2006]

fruit morphology

fruit_length (numerical): 2.65 mm (2.3-3 mm) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
fruit_width (numerical): 1.67 mm (1.5-2 mm) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
fruit_height (numerical): 1.75 mm (1.5-2 mm) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
fruit_type (categorical): nut (5) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (4) [sources: Jordan_2001; Metcalfe_2020_1; Sjostrom_2006; Tsakalos_2020]
fruit_dehiscence (categorical): indehiscent (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit_colour (categorical): black (3); brown (3); red (3) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]

leaf morphology

leaf_area (numerical): 1162.39 mm2 (1162.39-1162.39 mm2) [sources: Mokany_2015]
leaf_length (numerical): 6 mm (2-10 mm) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
leaf_width (numerical): 0.75 mm (0.5-1 mm) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 301.31 g/m2 (264.39-322.21 g/m2) [sources: Detombeur_2025]
leaf_dry_matter_content (numerical): 0.45 g/g (0.4-0.47 g/g) [sources: Detombeur_2025]
leaf_shape (categorical): linear (1) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
leaf_margin (categorical): entire (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; Tsakalos_2020]
leaf_lobation (categorical): unlobed (1) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (4) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; NHNSW_2014_2; Tsakalos_2020; Wheeler_2002]
leaf_glaucousness (categorical): not_glaucous (2) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]
leaf_hairs_adult_leaves (categorical): glabrous (1) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]
leaf_arrangement (categorical): distichous (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (2) [sources: SAH_2023; Tsakalos_2020]

life history

photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (3); c4 (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; Tsakalos_2020; White_2020; Williams_2011]
plant_growth_form (categorical): graminoid (5); graminoid_not_tussock (1); herb (5); tussock (2) [sources: Hughes_1992; Metcalfe_2020_1; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; RBGV_2022; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022; Wheeler_2002; White_2020; Williams_2011]
life_form (categorical): hemicryptophyte (3) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; Morgan_2011_1; Williams_2011]
life_history (categorical): perennial (8) [sources: Jordan_2001; Morgan_2011_1; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2023; Wheeler_2002]
woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (5) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
stem_growth_habit (categorical): erect (1); rhizomatous (3) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2]
nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (1) [sources: White_2020]
parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (2) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]
pollination_syndrome (categorical): vertebrate (1); wind (2) [sources: Draper_2023; Metcalfe_2020_1; White_2020]
pollination_system (categorical): abiotic (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
dispersal_syndrome (categorical): barochory (1); hydrochory (1); undefined (1); zoochory (1) [sources: Draper_2023; Morgan_2011_1; White_2020; Williams_2011]
dispersers (categorical): abiotic (1); animals (1); water (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnnnyyy (1); ynnnnnnnnyyy (1); yynnnnnnyyyy (2); yyynnnnnnyyy (1); yyyynnnyyyyy (1) [sources: Hughes_1992; NHNSW_2014_2; NSWFRD_2014; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_1998; White_2020]
seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): persistent (1) [sources: White_2020]
vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): vegetative (3) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; Morgan_2011_1; White_2020]
clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): belowground_clonal (1); rhizome (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_1; Williams_2011]
storage_organ (categorical): rhizome (3) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; WAH_2023_2]
bud_bank_location (categorical): bud-bearing_root (1); rhizome (1) [sources: NSWFRD_2014]

nutrient and stable isotope

leaf_N_per_dry_mass (numerical): 5.41 mg/g (4.3-6.12 mg/g) [sources: Detombeur_2025]
leaf_P_per_dry_mass (numerical): 0.19 mg/g (0.15-0.26 mg/g) [sources: Detombeur_2025]
leaf_delta13C (numerical): -26.56 {delta}[ppth] (-26.74--26.41 {delta}[ppth]) [sources: Detombeur_2025]

seed morphology

seed_dry_mass (numerical): 4.24 mg (4.24-4.24 mg) [sources: Mokany_2015]
seed_length (numerical): 2.5 mm (2-3 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001; Metcalfe_2020_1]
seed_width (numerical): 2.8 mm (2.8-2.8 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]

whole plant morphology

plant_height (numerical): 0.85 m (0.2-1.2 m) [sources: Hughes_1992; SAH_2014; WAH_2023_2; Wheeler_2002]
plant_physical_defence_structures (categorical): absent (2) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]

Sources

dataset_id	n_traits	n_records	reference
Detombeur_2025	12	56	F. D. Tombeur, L. Plouzeau, J. Shaw, M. J. Hodson, K. Ranathunge, J. Kotula, P. E. Hayes, M. Tremblay, S. Coq, M. Stein, R. Nakamura, I. J. Wright, H. Lambers, C. Violle, and P. L. Clode. “Anatomical and Trait Analyses Reveal a Silicon-Carbon Trade-Off in the Epidermis of Sedges”. Plant, Cell & Environment 48.3 (2024), pp. 2396-2410. ISSN: 1365-3040. doi: 10.1111/pce.15307.
White_2020	19	19	M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
Metcalfe_2020_1	16	18	D. Metcalfe. “Unpublished data: Database of Cyperaceae traits, CSIRO”. 2020.
Tsakalos_2020	16	17	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.
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/.
Wheeler_2002	8	10	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.
eFLOWER_Dun_2022	10	10	L. Dun and H. Sauquet. “Unpublished: Floral traits for GAP taxa, University of New South Wales, Australia”. 2022.
RBGV_2023	6	9	VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
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.
NSWFRD_2014	7	7	B. Kenny, C. Orscheg, E. Tasker, M. A. Gill, and R. Bradstock. NSW Flora Fire Response Database, v2.1. database. NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, 2014.
Williams_2011	7	7	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.
Morgan_2011_1	5	5	J. Morgan. “Unpublished data: Grassy woodland traits, La Trobe University”. 2011.
Kubiak_2009	3	4	P. J. Kubiak. “Fire responses of bushland plants after the January 1994 wildfires in northern Sydney”. Cunninghamia 11.1 (2009), pp. 131-165.
NHNSW_2014_2	4	4	Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
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/.
RBGV_2022	4	4	VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.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.
WAH_2022_2	4	4	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
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.
Hughes_1992	3	3	L. Hughes and B. Rice. “Unpublished data: Traits data for 643 species, Macquarie University”. 1992.
SAH_2023	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/.
WAH_2023_2	2	3	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
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.
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.