Anemanthele lessoniana
Common names
gossamer grass
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Detailed description
Erect, tufted, shortly rhizomatous perennial, bearing densely leafy culms surmounted by delicate, nodding panicles. Leaf-sheath to 150 mm, outer margin ciliate. Ligule 1.5 mm, asymmetrical, entire to fimbriate. Leaf-blade 450 × 6 mm, stiff, involute or flat, upper surface shining, apex acute, undersides smooth, dull, margins scabrid. Culm to 750 mm, simple, erect to nodding, internodes smooth, occasionally scabrid below panicle. Panicle 600 mm; purplish-red or green, branches capillary, spreading, whorled; rachis slender, smooth to scaberulous, branches and pedicels scaberulous. Spikelets laterally subcompressed, pale green to purplish. Glumes subequal, 2.5–3.5 mm, hyaline, acute to acuminate, keel scabrid; lower linear-lanceolate, 1-nerved, upper elliptic-lanceolate, 1–3-nerved. Flowers perfect. Lemma 2 mm, 3-nerved, elliptic-oblong, awn to 8 mm, scabrid, curved, caducous. Callus minute, rounded, ringed by very minute hairs. Anther 1, 0.8–1.4 mm, apically thickened.
Similar taxa
A most distinctive and singular species which could only be confused with the common introduced grass Piptatherum miliaceum (L.) Coss. From that species Anemanthele is most readily distinguished by its spikelets with have laterally subcompressed rather than dorsally compressed florets bearing one rather than three stamens.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (North Auckland, Waikato and southern third of the island), South Island (from Nelson and Marlborough south, mainly in the east). Also occurs as a cultivation escape in some places, e.g., Auckland City.
Habitat
Sea level to montane forest, forest margins, scrub and on cliff faces and associated talus.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Agrostis lessoniana Steud., Oryzopsis lessoniana (Steud.) Veldkamp, Agrostis procera A.Rich., Dichelachne procera Steud., D. rigida Steud., Oryzopsis rigida (Steud.) Zotov, Agrostis rigida A.Rich., Apera arundinacea Hook.f., Stipa arundinacea (Hook.f.) Benth., Apera purpurascens Colenso
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(October)–January–(March)
Fruiting
(November)–February–(May)
Life cycle and dispersal
Florets are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed, often naturalises in gardens and can become very invasive. Can be grown in a variety of situations but does best in dry soil in full sun or partial shade under trees. Does not like damp soils.
Other information
Cultivation
Very common in cultivation and sold by most plant retail nurseries, though often under a variety of incorrect names.
Etymology
lessoniana: Named after René Primevère Lesson who was a 19th century French botanist and surgeon
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
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.
ANELES
Chromosome number
2n = 40-44
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Relict | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Sparse
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, Sp
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Anemanthele lessoniana Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/anemanthele-lessoniana/ (Date website was queried)