Carex dissita
Common names
forest sedge
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Shortly rhizomatous; green leafy tufts, drooping above, 0.15-1.00 m high. Culms 0.5–1.5–(1.7) mm diameter, trigonous, striated, edges smooth; basal sheaths light brown, grey-brown or often dark red-purple. Leaves > or < culms, 1.5–5.0 mm wide, double-folded, bright green or yellow-green, or red-green with red margins and midvein red abaxially, margins finely scabrid. Spikes 4–8; terminal spike male, rarely with a few female flowers at the top or with 1–2 very small male spikes at the base; remaining spikes female, usually with a few male flowers at the base, more rarely male at the top, 5–30 × 4–6 mm, uppermost spikes erect on very short peduncles, ± distant, lowest spike often quite remote and drooping from a slender peduncle. Glumes (excluding awn) slightly < utricles, ovate, emarginate to almost entire, pale reddish green or light brown, to dark red-brown with paler margins, membranous, midrib broad, pale brown, occasionally bright red-purple or straw-coloured, with 3 distinct, almost white, nerves produced to a usually short scabrid mucro. Utricles 2.0–3.0 × c. 1.5 mm, biconvex, turgid, ovoid, yellow-brown or cream at the base, red-purple to almost black above, abaxial face usually lighter coloured and more distinctly nerved than the other, margins occasionally very finely scabrid below the beak; beak c. 0.5 mm long, almost white, deeply bifid with divergent crura, orifice scabrid; stipe c. 0.3 mm. long. Stigmas 3. Nut c. 1.5 mm long, trigonous, ovoid, light brown.
Similar taxa
The distant, dark brown, rather short and stout, usually shortly pedunculate female spikes are a characteristic feature of this species. The utricles are also distinctly bicoloured basally cream to yellow brown and red-purple to black above. This feature helps distinguish this species from C. solandri Boott in Hook.f., a species with which it is most often confused, and which usually has uniformly dark coloured utricles (rarely light brown and pale yellow near the base). Carex solandri further differs from C. dissita by its long filiform peduncles. The two species often grow together.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North, South and Stewart Islands.
Habitat
Lowland to montane. Usually in riparian forest, where it may be abundant along stream sides.
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 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Carex dissita Boott var. monticola Kük.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
August–November
Fruiting
October–May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of established plants. A popular species in cultivation, though many plants sold as this species are in fact C. solandri. Excellent for a permanently damp situation in a shaded site but will tolerate full sun and dry conditions once established.
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]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Other information
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.
CARDIS
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
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.
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 dissita Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-dissita/ (Date website was queried)