Agrostis petriei
Synonyms
Agrostis petriei Hack. var. petriei; Agrostis petriei var. mutica Hack.
Family
Poaceae
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.
AGRPET
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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). 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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. South Island from Canterbury to Central Otago
Habitat
Montane to subalpine on dry stony ground, cliff faces and rock outcrops. Also on river flats and within tussock grassland
Features
Loosely erect, tussock forming, bluish-green to greyish green clump-forming grass 150-550 mm tall, with slender, involute, finely scabrid leaves
Similar taxa
Agrostis petriei is readily recognised by its rigid, strictly involute, wiry blue-green to grey-green leaf-blades, which are very obviously, densely scabrid-papillose. Unlike the other indigenous Agrostis, A. petriei favours very dry sites within lowland to subalpine areas. It is usually found on rock outcrops or along river flats within ablation zones or within open stony pavements on river flats.
Flowering
October - January
Fruiting
December - March
Life cycle
Florets are dispersed by wind and water (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed and rooted pieces but dislikes humidity and will not flower unless subjected to cold treatment
Etymology
agrostis: Greek name for a kind of grass
petriei: Named after Donald Petrie (1846 -1925), Scottish born Otago botanist
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