Species profile—Trioncinia retroflexa
Classification
Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → Asteraceae (sunflower) → Trioncinia retroflexa
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Sighting data
Species details
- Kingdom
- Plantae (plants)
- Class
- Equisetopsida (land plants)
- Family
- Asteraceae (sunflower)
- Scientific name
- Trioncinia retroflexa (F.Muell.) Veldkamp
- WildNet taxon ID
- 9384
- Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status
- Endangered
- Conservation significant
- Yes
- Confidential
- No
- Endemicity
- Native
- Pest status
- Nil
- Description
- Trioncinia retroflexa is an erect, perennial herb to about 50cm tall. The leaves mainly occur at the base of the plant and form a rosette. Leaves are alternate, deeply once or twice divided (pinnatifid or bipinnatifid), trowel-shaped (trullata) in outline, and up to 3.7cm long by 2.5cm wide.
The flower heads are up to 7mm in diameter and radiate on stems from the centre of the plant. The ring of bracts surrounding the flower head are straight. There are at least 5 irregular florets (rays) around the outer edge of the flower head. The ray florets are 2-lobed and measure c. 3.25mm long. There are 10 or more disc florets in the centre of the flower head, each with 4 short petals.
The fruits (achenes) are 8-11 mm long, dark-brown to black in colour, slightly curved inward, ribbed and with many warty transverse ridges but lacking wings. There are 3 (rarely 4) strongly reflexed awns at the apex.
Trioncinia retroflexa is very similar to the recently described T. patens, which, however, has smaller ray florets, shorter achenes, and 4 spreading awns. (Veldkamp 1992; Holland & Butler 2007). - Map
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- Distribution
- Trioncinia retroflexa is found near Clermont and Springsure in central Queensland. (Herbrecs 2008)
- Distributional limits
- -22.590107, 147.5844395
-24.2823812, 148.3225936 - Range derivation
- Range derived from extent of the taxon's verified records
- Habitat
- Trioncinia retroflexa occurs in grasslands on basalt downs and also on dark brown or black cracking clay soils. (Veldkamp 1992)
- Behaviour
- Trioncinia retroflexa is sensitive to the continuous grazing that typically occurs in paddocks. Sporadic dry-season grazing and burning appears to be compatible with the survival of Trioncinia. (Fensham et al. 2002)
- Reproduction
- Trioncinia retroflexa lives for approximately 5 years and seeds can remain viable in the soil for at least 18 months. (Fensham et al. 2002)
- Notes
- Contributors: Ailsa Holland, Mellisa Mayhew 19/06/2009
- References
- Fensham, R.J. (1999). The rediscovery of Trioncinia retroflexa (Asteraceae) in central Queensland. Australian Systematic Botany Society Newsletter 98: 9-10.
Fensham, R.J., Fairfax, R.J. & Holman, J.E. (2002). Response of a rare herb (Trioncinia retroflexa) from semi-arid tropical grassland to occasional fire and grazing. Austral ecology 27: 284-290.
Herbrecs (2008). Trioncinia retroflexa, in BriMapper version 2.12. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 13/11/2008.
Holland, A.E. & Butler, D.W. (2007). Trioncinia patens A.E. Holland & D.W. Butler (Asteraceae: Coreposidae: Chrysanthellinae), a new and endangered species from central Queensland. Austrobaileya 7(30: 555-566.
Veldkamp, F.F. & Kreffer, L.A. (1991). Notes on southeast Asian and Australian Coreopsidinae (Asteraceae). Blumea 35: 459-482).
Veldkamp, J.F. (1992). Notes on Australian Coreopsidinae (Compositae). Austrobaileya 3(4): 743. - Profile author
- Ailsa Holland (19/06/2009)
Other resources
Data source
This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=9384.
This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
