Carex dallii
Common names
Dall’s sedge
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Shortly rhizomatous; slender, dull red sedge with ± distant tufts. Rhizome c. 1 mm diameter, closely covered by dark red striated bracts. Culms elongating when mature to c. 500 × c. 0.5 mm, glabrous, flattened or subterete; basal sheaths light brown or reddish, nerves ± distinct. Leaves c. ¾ length of culms, 1–2 mm wide, channelled, narrow-linear, margins scarcely scabrid at base with well-spaced teeth towards the tip. Spikes 3–4–(5), the uppermost ± approximate, sessile, the 1–(2) lowest often much more distant and on a long filiform peduncle; terminal spike male; remaining spikes female, 5–15 × 2–5 mm, rarely with a few male flowers at the base; subtending bracts leaf-like, > inflorescence. Glumes ± = or slightly < utricles, ovate, red-brown, midrib usually paler brown, but occasionally darker brown, margins scarious, tips usually emarginate with a short but rather broad scabrid awn. Utricles 2.0–3.0 × 1.0–1.5 mm, subtrigonous, narrow-ovoid, or almost oblong, light brown below, dark red-brown above, surface smooth or faintly nerved, margins smooth, slightly narrowed towards a beak < 0.5 mm long with a shallow bidentate scabrid orifice, somewhat contracted at the base to an extremely short stipe. Stigmas 3. Nut c. 2 mm long, trigonous, oblong-obovoid, light brown.
Similar taxa
Carex dallii is most similar to C. traversii Kirk, which also has reddish coloured leaves. However, C. traversii is an ultramafic endemic confined to the eastern Nelson mineral belt. From that species C. dallii is distinguished by its absence from ultramafic rocks, larger size, and by its channelled rather than plano-convex leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand; South Island (North West Nelson, Westland and Otago)
Habitat
Montane to subalpine in damp depressions, swamps and mires in forest and scrub.
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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Carex gibbsii Petrie
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
December–April
Life cycle
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of established plants. Does best in full sun, in a permanently damp soil. The dark reddish leaves are rather attractive. An excellent pot plant.
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
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available.
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
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.
CARDAL
Chromosome number
2n = c.42
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Sparse
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.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carex dallii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-dallii/ (Date website was queried)