Citation: Drumm. ex Harvey, Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 7:58 (1855).

Synonymy: Althenia australis (Drumm. ex Harvey) Asch., Natürl. Pflanzenfam. 2:214 (1889).

Common name: Austral watermat, Australian water-mat.

Description:
Monoecious slender rhizomatous herb 10-30 cm tall; leaves to 7 cm long, 0.3-0.5 mm broad, gradually tapering towards the apex, margin minutely serrulate.

Fertile shoot bearing female flowers in the upper part of the inflorescence and male flowers below; male flower with 3 minute perianth-segments; anther of 6 pollen-sacs; female flowers on pedicels to 8 cm long, perianth-segments broad-elliptic, 1.2-2 mm long; stigma asymmetrically peltate or funnel-shaped, margins usually entire; fruiting carpel brown, more or less oblong, 1.5-3 mm long, usually 3-keeled, irregularly verrucose, 1.5-2 times as long as broad, projecting well beyond the perianth on an elongated carpophore.

fruiting pedicel reflexing at the base.

Distribution:  In fresh or brackish standing water up to 0.5 m deep.   W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Flowers and fruits: Sept. — April.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available