Eleocharis tetraquetra (a sedge) - endangered species listing
The Scientific Committee established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list Eleocharis tetraquetra Nees (Cyperaceae), a sedge, as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.
A Determination to provisionally list this species as an endangered species was gazetted on 17/7/1998.
NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
The Scientific Committee has found that:
1. The sedge Eleocharis tetraquetra was first described by Nees von Esenbeck in 1834.
2. It is a sedge that occurs only in swampy habitats, with collections recently made between Coffs Harbour and Grafton in north-eastern NSW. The following brief description is taken from Flora of New South Wales, Volume 4 (Harden, 1993): A tufted perennial with short rhizome. Culms 4-angled, lax, 30-100 cm high, 1-15 mm diam. Glumes acute to obtuse, faintly keeled, 3.5-5 mm long, straw-coloured tinged red-brown. Bristles 6-8, brown, flat, longer than nut, some exceeding style base, very closely and retrorsely toothed with teeth much longer than the width of bristle. Stamens 3. Style 3-fid. Nut more or less obtusely trigonous, obovoid, c. 1.5 mm long, c. 1 mm diam., shining, yellowish to brown; external cells minute, vertically oblong; style base half to three-quarters as long as nut and about three-quarters as broad as nut (and slightly broader than nut apex). Grows in swampy areas.
3. Eleocharis tetraquetra is currently known from a number of locations in only three areas in New South Wales, Boambee, near Coffs Harbour and within Fortis Creek National Park and near Murwillumbah. The species is known to reproduce vegetatively from rhizomes, therefore estimates of population size are difficult to ascertain.
4. The species is threatened by loss of habitat and habitat degradation, and a population at Boambee is also currently under threat from road construction. The risk of extinction is high due to low population size.
5. In view of 3 & 4 above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the species is likely to become extinct in nature in NSW unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival cease to operate.
Proposed Gazettal date: 9/7/99
Exhibition period: 9/7/99 - 13/8/99