Rhynchospora corymbosa (L.) Britton

Britton, N.L. (1892) Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences 11 : 84.

Matamat

Attains a height of about 1.5 m but also flowers and fruits when smaller.

Leaf blades about 70-150 x 1-2.5 cm bases sheathing. Margin finely toothed and similarly the midrib on the underside of the leaf blade.

Flowers enclosed in about 4-6 bracts (glumes). Tepals consist of six scabrous bristles about 2-3 mm long. Stigma bifid at the apex.

Fruits almost spindle-shaped, about 6-7 mm long, divided into a soft upper part and a harder lower part with the dividing line marked by a distinct groove. Bristles persistent at the base of the fruit.

First leaf linear, second leaf linear, about 20 x 1 mm. Leaf bases sheathing the stem. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blades linear, 40-45 x 0.6 cm, venation longitudinal and parallel, petiole 20-25 mm long, base sheathing. Seed germination time 284 days.

Occurs in NT, CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards to north-eastern New South Wales. Altitudinal range in northern Australia from near sea level to 750 m. Usually grows in swampy situations, sometimes on the edge of rain forest or in disturbed rain forest. Also occurs in Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands.