Anthosachne aprica
Common names
blue wheat grass
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, Yellow
Detailed description
Erect, glaucous, and tufted. Leaf-sheath 70-100 mm, keeled striate, becoming fibrous, glabrous, sparsely hairy or pubescent, margins papery. Ligule 0.3–0.5 mm, ciliate. Leaf-blade 200–300 × 2–4 mm, glaucous, flat, ribbed, sometimes involute, upper surface glabrous, or with occasional 1 mm long hairs, undersides densely hairy, lamina margin prickle-toothed, occasionally with sparse hairs up to 1 mm long. Culms 0.5–1 m, erect, nodes conspicuous, black or red-brown. Inflorescences 180–250 mm, stiff, erect, of 3–7 spreading spikelets. Spikelets 30–50 mm, each with 6–12 (or more) florets. Glumes ± equal, 5–10 mm, 3-nerved, acute or shortly awned, margins papery, ciliate. Lemma 10–14 mm, glabrous with some prickle-teeth above, apex occasionally bifid, awn 22–45 mm, recurved or straight. Palea 6–13 mm, apex bifid. Rachilla 2–3 mm, short stiff hairy. Callus 0.75 mm, incompletely and shortly bearded. Anthers 4–9 mm purple or yellow.
Similar taxa
Morphologically superficially similar to Connorochloa tenuis, from which it differs by the erect culms rather than long trailing culms, with the uppermost internodes short, spikelets widely spreading (divergent) from rachis, and 4–9 mm long, purple to yellow anthers. Anthosachne aprica is a stout grass with conspicuous erect flower heads bearing long-awned spikes that are held at a distinct angle to the stem. Aside from Connorochloa it could possibly can be confused with some exotic Bromus spp. that also have long awns (but these often have hairy leaves, and green rather than blue-green coloured spikes, and the edges of the spikes are sharply delineated, not rounded as in Anthosachne. This species previously regarded as an Elymus is now accepted as a member of Anthosachne (see Barksworth & Jacobs (2011)).
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Central Otago only
Habitat
A species of inland basins where it grows in short tussock (Festuca novae-zelandiae (Hack.) Cockayne) grasslands at elevations of 150–200 m.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT
Threats
A local endemic, that while not believe to be threatened occupies a very narrowly defined range that is ever increasingly vulnerable to loss of habita through the expansion of the wine industry in Central Otago.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Poaceae
Synonyms
Elymus apricus Á.Löve et Connor
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–February.
Fruiting
November–April
Life cycle
Florets are dispersed by wind and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed and the division of whole plants. Dislikes humidity and does best in full sun, in a well drained soil.
Other information
Where to buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
aprica: From the Latin aperire ‘open’, meaning uncovered
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.
ANAAPR
Chromosome number
2n = 42
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Barkworth ME, Jacobs SWL. 2011: The Triticeae (Gramineae) in Australasia. Telopea 13: 37–56.
Edgar E, Connor HE. 2000. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Christchurch, Manaaki Whenua Press. 650 p.
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.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange June 2005. Feature description adapted from Edgar & Connor (2000).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Anthosachne aprica Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/anthosachne-aprica/ (Date website was queried)