Carex calcis
Common name
sedge
Synonyms
None (first described in 2007)
Family
Cyperaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Sedges
Chromosome number
2n = c.68
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2004 | Sparse
2003 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
Distribution
.Endemic. New Zealand: South Island. North-West Nelson from about the Garibaldi Ridge south to the Matiri Plateau
Habitat
Upper montane to alpine. Exclusive to on soils derived from weathered limestone and calcareous mudstone/siltstone Carex calcis is a plant of open shrubland and Chionochloa tussock grassland. It is also common in the grasslands and shrublands developed on colluvial deposits at the base and lower slopes of the escarpments and slips scars.
Detailed description
Perennial herb, tufts stout, rigid, spreading; occasionally shortly rhizomatous. Culms (40)–150–300–(575) × 1.5–2.0 mm, stout, ascending to spreading, trigonous, striated, smooth, rarely scabrid above, longer than, similar to, or shorter than leaves when mature. Leaves (115)–150–300–(380) × 2.5–6.0 mm; leaf sheaths loose, dull brown, becoming stringy with age, nerves distinct; leaf blades channelled, occasionally double-folded, stiff, green; leaf margins and keel thickened, scabrid; apex trigonous, scabrid, acuminate. Inflorescence of 4–6–(7) densely flowered separate male and female spikes, brown, erect, borne singly at nodes, mostly sessile, closely contiguous towards the top of the culm, often lower spike remote and sometimes on a short peduncle; terminal spike male, 7.0–30 × 2.0–3.7 mm, clavate, cylindrical, brown, occasionally distal part female; remaining spikes female 6.0–35 × 5.0–7.0 mm, stout, oblong, cylindrical, brown, sometimes with a few terminal male flowers above, particularly on upper female spike. Lowermost inflorescence bract leaflike, (60)–100–200–(350) × 2.5–5.5 mm, longer than inflorescence. Male glumes 4.0–6.4 × 1.6–2.0 mm long, speckled brown, obovate, concavo-convex, subcoriaceous, mid-region 3-veined, green fading to white at maturity; margins membranous, entire, scabrid towards apex; apex emarginate, midvein often failing, sometimes mid-vein excurrent then apex acute or shortly awned, awn scabrid. Female glumes 2.1–4.0 × 1.6–2.2 mm, shorter or similar length to utricles, speckled brown, ovate, concavo-convex, subcoriaceous, mid-region green fading to white; margins membranous, fimbriate towards apex; apex acute sometimes shortly awned. Stamens 3, anthers 1.5–2.5 mm long. Utricles 2.5–3.7 × 1.2–2.3 mm, spreading at maturity, trigonous to subtrigonous, obovate to elliptic, sometimes slightly winged, abruptly narrowed to a distinct white beak, speckled brown to dark brown above (except for beak), usually with distinct broad, pale nerves; beak 0.4–0.5–(0.7) mm long, bidentate, white, margins occasionally scabrid; orifice slightly oblique, scabrid. Stigmas 3, 0.8–1.2 mm long. Nut 1.3–1.6 × 0.9–1.2 mm, trigonous, brown.
Similar taxa
Carex calcis is perhaps most closely allied to C. dolomitica Heenan et de Lange, from which it differs by the loose brown and often shredding sheaths; female spikes cylindrical and brown; and by the utricles which are 2.5–3.7 × 1.2–2.3 mm, speckled brown to dark-brown above, with a white beak, obovate-elliptic in shape, the apex narrowed abruptly to a beak; and trigonous to subtrigonous to cross-section. Carex dolomitica differs by the tufts bearing clasping dark brown sheaths (these rarely shredding); female spikes which are tapered, dark brown or red; utricles which are 3.2–4.2 × 1.3–1.9 mm, shiny black above, with a red or white beak; broad-ovoid to ovoid, elliptic or narrow-elliptic, tapering to a beak, and plano-convex to subtrigonous in cross-section.
Flowering
November
Fruiting
January–March
Life cycle
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by division of established plants. Prefers full sun in a permanently moist but free draining soil enriched with lime. Dislikes humidity.
Threats
Not threatened–but biologically sparse over its entire range.
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (1 January 2008). Description from Ford (2007)
References and further reading
Ford KA. 2007. Carex (Cyperaceae) – two new species from the calcareous mountains of North-West Nelson, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 45(4): 721–730. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288250709509747
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carex calcis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-calcis/ (Date website was queried)