Carex drucei
Common name
Druce’s bastard grass, Druce’s hook sedge
Synonyms
Uncinia drucei Hamlin; Uncinia drucei var. pauciflora Hamlin
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.
UNCDRU
Chromosome number
2n = 88
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. New Zealand, North, South and Stewart Islands from Mt Hikurangi and Mt Taranaki south.
Habitat
Alpine. In cushion bog, fellfield, snow banks, seepages and herbfield
Features
Stoloniferous, widely spreading, pale green to reddish-green plants. Stolons c.0.5 mm diameter. Culms 50.0-200.0 × 0.3-1.0 mm, glabrous; basal bracts light brown or straw-coloured. Leaves 5-6(-8) per culm, < culms, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, bright green, soft, the abaxial surface with 3-5 very pale green, raised veins, margins scabrid and tapering towards the narrow, triangular apex. Spikes 05-20 × 3–4 mm, up to 10 mm diam. at maturity, oblong, female flowers 7–18, densely crowded, internodes 0.5-1.5 mm long. Glumes = or > utricles, deciduous, subacute, membranous, pale brown with broad green midrib. Utricles 4–5 × c.1 mm, trigonous, elliptic-lanceolate, dark brown, shining, smooth except for a prominent lateral nerve, widely spreading when ripe, slightly contracted below to a stipe c.1 mm long and above to a beak c.1.5 mm long
Similar taxa
Close to Carex edura K.A.Ford, which is a very variable species. From Carex edura, C. drucei differs by its widely spreading, stoloniferous rather than tufted or shortly rhizomatous growth habit, usually more numerous, much narrower, grass-like, soft rather than harshly scabrid leaves, and by the shorter, oblong rather than broadly pyramidal spikes with smaller dark-brown rather than green-brown to dark brown glossy utricles
Flowering
October - January
Fruiting
December - April
Propagation technique
Unknown. Probably easily cultivated in an alpine house of rock garden, grown from fresh seed and by division of established plants.
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
drucei: After A.P. Druce, one of New Zealand’s most respected field botanists
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 30 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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carex drucei Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-drucei/ (Date website was queried)