Typha sp.
Cumbungi at Gungahlin, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Typha sp. | MichaelBedingfield | 22 Feb 2021 | |
| Typha sp. | MichaelBedingfield | 21 Feb 2021 | |
| Vallisneria australis | TrishGungahlin | 20 Feb 2021 |
Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.
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
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)
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.
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.
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' ?
21 Feb 2021
Jane, I've done an "Undo" of your confirmation. We'll see what Michael M thinks.
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.
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
- 1 metre to 5 metres Plant height
Collections
- TrishGungahlin Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Typha sp. Rushes, Sedges & Mat Rushes Plants
Species information
- Typha sp. Scientific name
- Cumbungi Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1448.56m Recorded at altitude
-
Synonyms
Gummiuk
Record quality
Quality score
5 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Description
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location