Carex cirrhosa
Common names
curly sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Tufted sedge forming dense wine red, silvery-grey or yellow-green tussocks. Culms 100–400 mm long, enclosed by light brown leaf sheaths. Leaves 25–200 × 0.5–1.0 mm, basally wine-red, apically silvery-grey, narrow-linear, concavo-convex, margins incurved, scabrid, tip strongly curled and twisted. Inflorescence of 2–5 spikes buried within basal portion of plant; terminal 1–2 male, lower 1–3 female crowded round base of male spikes, 3–8 × 2 mm, lower most spikes often distant, pedunculate, bracts subtending female spikes leaf-like, > spikes. Glumes slightly < utricles, or = to urticle length if awned, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, cuspidate, hyaline, white or pale pink, midrib often green. Utricles 2.0–3.0 × 1.0–1.5 mm, plano-convex, elliptic-ovoid, yellow-green in lower half and on beak, pinkish brown otherwise, nerved, sessile, margins smooth or minutely scabrid, abruptly narrowed to an acute bidentate beak 0.5 mm, crura scabrid. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5 mm, biconvex, oblong-ovoid, brown.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the tufted, non-rhizomatous growth form and by the distinctly cirrhose (curled) leaves, which are wine-red (or green) for the lower third and then silvery white for the rest of their length. The spikelets are found hidden within the foliage toward the lower third of the culm. It is perhaps closest to C. rubicunda, which differs by its much smaller size, wider blunt-ended leaves, and smooth or faintly nerved utricles, which are <2 mm long and narrowed to a minute 0.3 mm-long beak.
Distribution
Endemic. North, South Island - mainly easterly. In North Island very local from Lake Whangape (near Huntly) to Lake Wairarapa. In the South Island in scattered sites from about North Canterbury to Southland.
Habitat
Lake, pond and tarn margins - preferring low marginal turf in sites subjected to seasonal inundation.
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 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR
Threats
Habitat loss as a consequence of taller and faster growing weeds encroaching on the lake side marginal turf communities this sedge prefers. This species is also threatened by changes in lake levels and seasonal water regimes as a consequence of dams and water abstraction. Also browsed by hares.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Carex cirrhosa var. lutescens Kük. in Cheeseman
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–January
Fruiting
November–February
Life cycle and dispersal
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed and the division of whole plants. Prefers moist soils, with a sunny aspect, free from weeds.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
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.
CARCIR
Chromosome number
2n = 68
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 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, RR
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable
2004 | Gradual Decline
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, RR
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.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Moore LB, Edgar E. 1970. Flora of New Zealand, Volume II. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Monocotyledones except Gramineae. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 354 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (10 August 2006). Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970)
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.