Carex acicularis
Common name
sedge
Synonyms
Carex inconspicua Col.
Family
Cyperaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
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.
CARACI
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 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. North, South and Stewart Islands. In the North Island confined to the main axial Mountains from the Raukumara Range South including the Volcanic Plateau. In the South and Stewart Islands widespread.
Habitat
A montane to subalpine (sometimes coastal in the southern part of its range) sedge of wet open stony ground, damp seepages in scrub or forest or within tussock grassland.
Features
Diminutive, shortly rhizomatous, swarding yellow-green to dark green, sedge forming small tufts and mats amongst stones and in damp depressions within forest and tussock grassland. Culms 20-200 x 0.5 mm, terete, smooth; basal sheaths chestnut-brown or yellow-brown. Leaves slightly < culms (occasionally overtopping them), 0.5 mm wide, hair-like, plano-convex, canaliculated, strict, yellow-green to dark green, margins scabrid towards the obtuse apex. Inflorescence solitary. Spike 5 mm long, the lowermost glume bracteate, female flowers 2-6, equally or overtopping male flowers. Glumes longer than or of equal length to utricles, ovate, acute, brown with green midrib. Utricles 3-5 x 1 mm, lanceolate. Smooth; tapering to a dark beak 1-2 mm long with distinctly scabrid margins and oblique crura; stipe 1 mm long. Stigmas 3. Rhachilla enclosed within utricle, 2-2.3 mm long, linear, margins scabrid, apex surmounted by a minute, red appendage. Nut 2 mm long, oblong-trigonous, smooth.
Similar taxa
Most closely allied to C. allanii Hamlin (which many regard as a form of C. acicularis) and C. enysii Petrie. From C. enysii it is best recognised by the distinctly scabrid rather than smoothly glabrous utricle beak, while it is chiefly distinguished from C. allanii by its shortly creeping, closely tufted habit, lanceolate rather than subtrigonous utricles, and longer (1-2 mm vs. 1 mm) beak. The nut of C. allanii is < 2 mm long, obovoid-trigonous while that of C. acicularis is 2 mm long and oblong-trigonous. Further study is needed to determine if C. allanii is truly distinct from C. acicularis.
Flowering
October - December
Fruiting
October - June
Life cycle
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from rooted pieces and fresh seed. But fairly slow-growing and odes better in cooler climates. Does not like humidity
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
acicularis: From the Latin acicula ‘small pin’ refers to things which are needle-like, needle-shaped, stiff or pointed
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (10 August 2006). 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
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carex acicularis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-acicularis/ (Date website was queried)