Anthosachne solandri
Common names
native wheatgrass, blue wheatgrass
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Detailed description
Glaucous to green grass forming loose to open, somewhat floppy tufts. Leaf-sheath 50 mm, keeled, pubescent, hairy or glabrous. Ligule 0.5 mm, truncate. Leaf-blade 210 × 2–4 mm, glaucous or green, flat, folded or inrolling, under side ribbed, upper surface short hairy or with prickle-teeth on ribs, margin involute, glabrous or faintly toothed. Culm 0.4–1 m, spreading, erect, suberect or drooping. Inflorescence 80–200 mm, of 3–15 spikelets. Spikelets 25–80 mm, of 4–10 florets. Glumes unequal, keeled, sometimes produced to a point or awned, lower 3–11 mm, 3-nerved, upper 5–12 mm, 3–5-nerved. Lemma with central nerve prominent, this extending into a recurved awn 35–75 mm long. Palea 9–12 mm, apex pointed, bifid. Rachilla 1.5–3 mm, covered with short, stiff, hairs. Callus 0.75 mm, hairs just reaching lemma. Anthers 3–5 mm.
Similar taxa
Anthosachne solandri has long been confused with the introduced Australian wheatgrass A. scabra (long known in New Zealand as Elymus rectisetus and then, more recently as E. scaber), from which it differs by the usually glaucous leaf-blades whose undersides are glabrous (though green in shaded plants, strongly recurved awn (though on some spikes the awn may be only slightly curved), and by the palea apex being pointed and bifid. Recognition in the field is complicated by the wide range of leaf and flower stalk sizes. When in flower/fruit, the spikes are held close to the main stem and the awns are often distinctly curved. A form of A. solandri with long drooping culms found in dryland eastern South Island is sometimes confused with Connorochloa tenuis. However, the finer culms of Connorochloa lie flat along the ground and are easily detached (the detached culm is the easiest way of identifying C. tenuis). In contrast the culm of Anthosachne solandri is difficult to detach from the plant. The transfer of Elymus solandri to Anthosachne was undertaken by Barksworth & Jacobs (2011).
Distribution
Endemic to New Zealand. North and South Islands. Uncommon north of the Waikato.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine (1 to 1500 m), often on rocky ground such as talus slopes, cliff faces and scree, but also a component of tussock grassland.
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 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Triticum solandri Steud., T. squarrosum Hook.f., T. youngii Hook.f., Agropyron youngii (Hook.f.) P. Candargy; Elymus solandri (Steud.) Connor
Taxonomic notes
Anthosachne solandri is very variable with respect to the leaf colouration, which ranges from dark blue-grey through to light green, and there have been some attempts to split this species into discrete entities. One form with inrolled, channelled leaves, known by the tag name Elymus ‘Channel’, occurs locally in Marlborough and Otago. Though often sympatric with A. solandri, it is not stable, and in cultivation soon reverts to the typical form. Another short-culmed, few-flowered form is found on alpine screes.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September–Feburary
Fruiting
October–May
Life cycle and dispersal
Florets are dispersed by wind and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Very easy from fresh seed or rooted pieces; often self sows into gardens but not invasive, and short-lived in humid or wet climates. Does best in full sun, in a dry or airy place. Excellent on rock walls where the foliage can hang.
Other information
Cultivation
Commonly sold by most retail plant nurseries, often under the name Elymus cv. Blue
Etymology
solandri: Named after Daniel Carlsson Solander (19 February 1733 - 13 May 1782) who was a Swedish naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.
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.
ANTSOL
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: TL
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.
Auckland: 2025 | Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: DPR, DPT, OL
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
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). 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.