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Wire Rush

Empodisma minus

Wire Rush
Photo: Guy Taseski, CC BY 4.0
Family
Restionaceae (Restion family)
Grows as
Perennial
Water
Likes moisture
Native range
SE. Queensland to SE. Australia, New Zealand (incl. Stewart I.)
Climate
temperate

About

Empodisma minus, commonly known as (lesser) wire rush or spreading rope-rush, is an Australian perennial evergreen belonging to the southern-hemisphere family of monocotyledonous plants Restionaceae. The Latin name Empodisma minus translates to “tangle-foot” “small”. E. minus is found from Queensland to South Australia, Tasmania and throughout New Zealand south of 38 ° latitude, or the central north island. Its current conservation status is “Least concern”. In 2012, the new species Empodisma robustum was described in New Zealand, with what was previously described as E. minus from the lowland raised bogs of Waikato and Northland now being re-classified as E. robustum. E. minus remains an important peatformer in the south of New Zealand and in high altitude peatlands.

Where it grows

Empodisma minus is found most densely in the South-Eastern parts of Australia, also in Tasmania and only absent from Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The species is also present in New Zealand. In both regions it grows from coastal to alpine areas, preferring fens, bogs, heaths, swamps and stream margins.

Other Empodisma plants

Empodisma gracillimum · Empodisma

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Empodisma minus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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