Cumbungi at Gungahlin, ACT
Identification history
| Typha sp. | 22 Feb 2021 | michaelb | ||
| Typha sp. | 21 Feb 2021 | michaelb | ||
| Vallisneria australis | 20 Feb 2021 | TrishGungahlin |
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User's notes
There are a few 'islands' composed of this weed in Yerrabi Pond which seems to form a solid surface for birds to sit and sleep on. They have appeared since the heavy rain a few weeks ago. Is it ribbon weed?
7 comments
JaneR
wrote:
21 Feb 2021
Water plants often have the name 'weed' like this one, ribbon weed, when in fact they are native plants and not a weed in the sense that we usually use the word.
the photograph of the plant is not really good enough to do an ID on, but the strappy nature of the leaves is pretty distinctive when the photograph is magnified, so the identification for Vallisneria australis is accepted.
These 'islands' are possibly - just possibly - subsurface mounds where the plant is growing. This will become evident if water level falls a bit. These plants will not survive out of water, so the leaves will die off completely if exposed. (and re-grow under right conditions)
the photograph of the plant is not really good enough to do an ID on, but the strappy nature of the leaves is pretty distinctive when the photograph is magnified, so the identification for Vallisneria australis is accepted.
These 'islands' are possibly - just possibly - subsurface mounds where the plant is growing. This will become evident if water level falls a bit. These plants will not survive out of water, so the leaves will die off completely if exposed. (and re-grow under right conditions)
JaneR
wrote:
21 Feb 2021
Another thought: the islands could be accumulations of broken-off leaves:. Waves, such as caused by high winds, can break off the long leaves; which then get rolled together in the water, and dumped: strandlines of dead leaves often on down-wind shores of Lake BG. If these islands are broken-off leaves, then they will decompose, pretty quickly, but lots of insects.
michaelb
wrote:
21 Feb 2021
Sometimes the rangers trim Typha growth on the edges of the lakes. Perhaps this the left over debris of such an activity. The leaves look unusually clean for Vallisneria australis, which often accumulates underwater muck.
JaneR
wrote:
21 Feb 2021
I wasn't aware of the Rangers' activities.
The leaves don't look stiff enough for Typha, but its true that they are free of an epiphyte load (or 'muck'). A close up photo would be a help.
Michael, if you are confident that this is cut Typha leaves, then it needs to be changed: otherwise, maybe it should be changed to 'inconclusive' ?
The leaves don't look stiff enough for Typha, but its true that they are free of an epiphyte load (or 'muck'). A close up photo would be a help.
Michael, if you are confident that this is cut Typha leaves, then it needs to be changed: otherwise, maybe it should be changed to 'inconclusive' ?
michaelb
wrote:
21 Feb 2021
Jane, I've done an "Undo" of your confirmation. We'll see what Michael M thinks.
michaelb
wrote:
22 Feb 2021
I am able to view a close up of the original photos. After careful thought I feel confident this is Typha sp.
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Nearby sightings
Location information
- Coordinates 149.134122-35.175947
- Maps Yerrabi Pond
- Places Gungahlin, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 18 Feb 2021 12:16 PM Recorded on
- TrishGungahlin Recorded by
Additional information
- 1 metre to 5 metres Plant height
Species information
- Typha sp. Scientific name
- Cumbungi Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-Invasive
- Up to 790m Recorded at altitude
- Machine learning
-
In flower
-
Ngunnawal language
Gummiuk
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Confirmed by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
