Baumea is a genus of the sedge family, which includes around 30 species native to Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 and the Pacific Islands

Pacific Islands

The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....

, with 15 species in Australia. All are perennial rhizomatous herbs, with leaves and stems very similar in appearance. The inflorescence is terminal, with the flowers tightly clustered or loosely arranged. The fruits are small nuts.

It is closely related to the genus Machaerina, and is sometimes included in that genus.

Habitat and cultivation

Most species occur in open moist habitats; many are found in swamps or seasonally inundated areas. Baumea is propagated from transplants, divisions, or from seeds, which germinate readily if sown on damp organic mix and kept moist until shoots appear.

Selected species

Baumea acuminata Regel Baumea acuta (Labill.) Palla Baumea arthrophylla (Nees) Boeck. Baumea articulata (R.Br.) S.T.Blake Baumea aspericaulis (Kük.) S.T.Blake Baumea australis (Nees) S.T.Blake Baumea brownei Boeck. Baumea complanata (Berggr.) S.T.Blake Baumea crassa Thwaites Baumea deplanchei Boeck. Baumea disticha (C.B.Clarke) S.T.Blake Baumea ensifolia (Boeck.) Palla Baumea ensigera (Hance) S.T.Blake Baumea falcata Nees Baumea flexuosa Boeck. Baumea glomerata Gaudich. Baumea gunnii (Hook.f.) S.T.Blake Baumea huttonii (Kirk) S.T.Blake Baumea iridifolia Boeck. Baumea johnsonii K.L.Wilson

Baumea juncea (R.Br.) Palla Baumea laxa (Nees) Boeck. Baumea loculata Boeck. Baumea longifolia Boeck. Baumea mariscoides Gaudich. Baumea meyenii Kunth Baumea milnei (C.B.Clarke) S.T.Blake Baumea montana Raynal Baumea muelleri (C.B.Clarke) S.T.Blake Baumea nuda (Steud.) S.T.Blake Baumea planifolia (Benth.) K.L.Wilson Baumea preissii Nees Baumea riparia (Nees) Boeck. Baumea rubiginosa Boeck. Baumea schoenoides (R.Br.) Boeck. Baumea tenax (Hook.f.) S.T.Blake Baumea teretifolia (R.Br.) Palla Baumea tetragona (Labill.) S.T.Blake Baumea vaginalis (Benth.) S.T.Blake Baumea veillonis Raynal

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