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  4. Agrostis imbecilla

Agrostis imbecilla

Cultivated specimen ex. Rock and Pillar Range, Central Otago.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Date taken: 12 February 2017, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Cultivated specimen ex. Rock and Pillar Range, Central Otago.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Date taken: 12 February 2017, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common name

feeble bent

Synonyms

Agrostis tenella Petrie non Hoffm.

Family

Poaceae

Authority

Agrostis imbecilla Zotov

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Grasses

NVS code

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

AGRIMB

Chromosome number

2n = 42

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

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). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By 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.

2012 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: Sp

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon

2004 | Sparse

Distribution

Endemic. North Island, one record from Moawhango. South Island, infrequent in Canterbury and Otago

Habitat

A montane, subalpine to alpine species of damp sites within tussock grassland.

Features

Delicate, slender, tufted perennial plants (100-)150-350 mm tall, with long, rather fine, spike-like panicles on slender culms > overtopping leaves. Leaf-sheath narrow, membranous, light cream-brown to reddish, glabrous, distinctly ribbed. Ligule 0.8-1.6 mm, obtuse, lower surface glabrous. Leaf-blade 20-130 x 0.2-0.4 mm, involute, filiform, flaccid, undersides finely striate and, in young leaves scabrid, upper surface scabrid on ribs; margins scabrid, apex tapered, blunt. Culm „b filiform, erect or geniculate at base, internodes glabrous. Panicle (25-)50-90 x 2-3 mm, contracted, narrow-linear, pale purple. Spikelets 1.5-2.4 mm, pale greenish purple or pale yellow. Glumes equal, lanceolate, scabrid on keel and on margins near acute tip. Lemma 1.5-1.9 mm, glabrous, 5-nerved, ovate-oblong, apex denticulate, usually without awns, if present these up to 1 mm, scarcely projecting beyond glumes. Palea 0.1-0.2 mm, ovate. Callus with few minute hairs. Anthers 0.6-1 mm.

Similar taxa

A distinctive species characterised by its very fine, rather slender panicles, and rather lax to flaccid leaves.

Flowering

unknown

Fruiting

unknown

Life cycle

Florets are dispersed by wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Easy from fresh seed and rooted pieces but will not flower without cold treatment. In humid climates it is difficult to maintain

Threats

Not directly threatened, but listed because it is a naturally uncommon species of sporadic occurrence.

Etymology

agrostis: Greek name for a kind of grass

imbecilla: Weak

Attribution

Description modified from Edgar and Connor (2000)

References and further reading

Edgar, E.; Connor, H.E. 2000: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Christchurch, Manaaki Whenua Press. 650 pp.

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309

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