Citation: Gaudich., (Labill.) Palla, Allg. Bot. Zeitschr. 8:69 (1902).

Derivation: After the chemist Antoine Baume.

Synonymy: Schoenus acutus Labill., Nov. Holl. Pl. Sp. 1:18 (1805); Cladlure acutum (Labill.) Poiret, Dict. Sci. Nat. 9:344 (1817); Machaerina acura (Labill.) Kern, Acta Bot. Neerl. 8:266 (1959); C. schoenoides R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 237 (1810); M. schoenoides (R. Br.) Koyama, Bot. Mag., Tokyo 69:65 (1956).

Common name: Pale twig-rush.

Description:
Stems 15-30 cm high, flat with obtuse margins, c. 1 mm wide, striate; leaves vertically flattened, similar or somewhat wider, all basal, acute; lowest sheathing bract usually shorter than the inflorescence, leaf-like, erect and pungent.

Panicle short and rather dense, or to 8 cm and interrupted, with zig-zag branches; spikelets reddish-brown, 4-5 mm long, 1-flowered; glumes acute, smooth, glabrous or the margins sparsely ciliate, the upper ones somewhat spreading.

Nut ovoid, c. 2 x 1 mm, shortly stipitate, finally reddish-brown to blackish; the apex (with style base) sometimes less than one-third as long as the broadly ellipsoid to subglobose body, body mat and the apex shiny.

Distribution:  About 30 species from Madagascar and Australia (about 15 species) and neighbouring areas. S. T. Blake (1969) Contrib. Qld Herb. 8 treated these species under Baumea, but Koyama (1956) Bot. Mag., Tokyo 69:61 and Kern (1974) Fl. Males. ser. 1, 7:690 placed Baumea in Machaerina Vahl. K. Wilson in Morley & Toelken (1983) Flowering plants in Australia is followed here in recognising Baumea.   W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Leaves and frequently also the stems obviously transversely septate.	B. articulata 3.
1. Leaves and stems not septate or sometimes partially septate
2. Leaves and also the stems, at least in the upper part, prominently and equally 4-angled	B. tetragona 8.
2. Leaves and usually also the stems terete or flattened
3. Leaves and stems very flat and thin or concave-convex
4. Spikelets rather scattered in a loose panicle with long slender branches	B. laxa 6.
4. Spikelets rather densely congested in a short panicle	B. acuta 1.
3. Leaves and stems terete or biconvex, or the leaves reduced to points
5. Spikelets with 2 or more bisexual flowers, numerous in the panicle; glumes prominently ciliate; at least the basal leaves well-developed and long; stem sheaths, if present, deeply split
6. Nut 3-4 x c. 1.5 mm, orange or reddish when ripe; spikelets in definite clusters	B. rubiginosa 7.
6. Nut 2-2.5 x c. 1 mm, always whitish; spikelets approximate and rather evenly distributed along the branches	B. arthrophylla 2.
5. Spikelets with 1 bisexual flower, few or rather few in the inflorescence; glumes glabrous or nearly so; leaves usually absent, or if present then terete
7. Stems with a prominent longitudinal furrow, without nodes above the base; 1 or 2 leaves sometimes developed	B. gunnii 4.
7. Stems not furrowed, 2- or 3-noded; leaves always reduced to mucros	B. juncea 5.

Author: Not yet available