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  4. Bolboschoenus caldwellii

Bolboschoenus caldwellii

North Otago.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Miranda, November.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Miranda, November.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
North Otago.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Flowering, North Otago.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Riversdale. May 1987.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Mowhanau Stream. Dec 2009.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Winter foliage. Kai-iwi Stream mouth. Apr 2011.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Exposed tubers. Kai-iwi stream mouth. Apr 2011.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Exposed tubers. Kai-iwi stream mouth. Apr 2011.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
North Otago.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Nuts, showing longitudinal depression on dorsal surface.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 29/05/2010, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Tokatoka, Kaipara.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 08/03/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Tokatoka, Kaipara.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 08/03/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Tokatoka, Kaipara.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 08/03/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <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

purua grass, Caldwell’s clubrush

Synonyms

Scirpus caldwellii Cook.

Family

Cyperaceae

Authority

Bolboschoenus caldwellii (Cook.) Soják

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

No

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Sedges

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.

BOLCAL

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 | Not Threatened

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Distribution

Indigenous. North Island from the Kaipara Harbour south, and mainly easterly. In the South Island widespread from Nelson to Otago, mainly eastern. Also in Australia.

Habitat

Coastal to lowland in saltmarshes and other poorly drained saline areas. Sometimes invades pasture abutting tidal streams and estuaries.

Features

Summer-green, bulbous perennial forming mostly densely clumped patches. Rhizome 3-5 mm diameter, horizontal, long-creeping, brown, apices terminated by globose, ligneous tubers. Culms 1(-3) per tuber, 0.3-1.0 m tall, 2-3 mm diameter, triquetrous; basal sheaths 1-2, mostly membranous, with a short channelled lamina. Leaves numerous, culms, 200-320 x 2.5-4.0 mm, double-folded but flattened, grass-like, tapering, coriaceous, margins and midrib scabrid towards apices; sheaths short, closed, coriaceous. Inflorescence a terminal, compact head of 3-6 spikelets; rays if present 1-3, 10-40 mm long, unequal, subtending involucral bracts similar to leaves, > inflorescence, unequal, 40-220 x 1.5-2.5 mm. Spikelets 10-20 mm long, ovoid or cylindric, red-brown. Glumes membranous, pubescent, apices slightly cleft or lacerate, with a scabrid, slightly recurved awn. Hypogynous bristles 6, unequal, about half length of nut, deciduous, red-brown, retrorsely scabrid. Stamens 3. Style-branches 2. Nut 3.5-4.0 x 2.5 mm, biconvex or obovoid, compressed, with a small depression on each side, smooth, apiculate, maturing cream to dull brown and glossy.

Similar taxa

Differs from B. fluviatilis (Torr.) Soják and B. medianus (Cook) Soják by the smaller size, often glaucescent leaves, fewer subsessile to very shortly stalked spikelets, consistently 2 style branches, and circular, biconvex nut with distinctly concave (depressed) sides

Flowering

October - January

Fruiting

December - May

Life cycle

Bristly nuts are dispersed by water and possibly wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Will grow in almost any soil but prefers a sunny, damp soil. Ideal as a pond plant or for planting along tidal streams.

Threats

Not Threatened but uncommon in northern part of range

Etymology

bolboschoenus: From Greek: bolbos (swelling or bulb) and schoinos (rush, reed), from the supposed difference from the genus Schoenus in having bulbous tubers

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Attribution

Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970)

References and further reading

Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.

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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