Municipalities

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Scientific Name

Lepidosperma tortuosum

Family Name

CYPERACEAE

Common Name

Twisting Rapiersedge

Status

Rare

Height

25cm

Flowers

2-5 flowers in a spike.

Fruit

Nut

Form

Slender, tufted plant with spirally twisted leaves and wavy stems.

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Kingborough; Northern Midlands; Southern Midlands

Communities

Habitat Notes

Open eucalypt woodland in the North East and East Coast, from sea level to 460m altitude.

Site Tolerance

Frost Tolerance

Soil Tolerance

General Notes

Very difficult to grow from seed- seed is slow to germinate and may have low viability. Seed is reputed to germinate very slowly if sown in dark and moist conditions. A combined heat-smoke treatment may be worth trying, possibly with older seed. Can be propagated by division over the winter months, but plants are slow to re-establish. Resistant to Phythophthora cinnamomi. Suitable below powerlines.

Propagation Details

Propagation Calendar

Flowering Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Collecting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sowing Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cutting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Information

Seed Collection

Nuts small, 3-3.5mm long and greenish, and contained in dry seedheads. Some species retain seed on the plant for several years. Cut the whole seedhead with secateurs and allow to dry, beat against a hard surface to extract, being careful of sharp foliage.

Seed Treatment Method

Smoke

Seed Storage Life

Viable Seeds Per Gram

Seed Treatment Notes

Germination Time

Suitable for Direct Seeding

Cuttings

Expected Time to Take Root

Expected Time to Plant Out

Propagation by Division N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.

Yes

Cutting Notes