Carex gaudichaudiana
Common names
Gaudichaud’s sedge
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Rhizome ascending; tufts flaccid. Rhizomes 1.5–2.0 mm diameter, often long-creeping. Culms variable in size, 20–320 × 0.3–1.0 mm, trigonous, almost glabrous, but often slightly scabrid just below the inflorescence; basal sheaths light brown or grey-brown. Leaves numerous, < or us. > culms, 0.5–2.5 mm wide, double-folded, grass-like, keel, margins and nerves on adaxial surface slightly scabrid towards tip. Inflorescence of 3–5 spikes, ± approximate, usually sessile; uppermost spike male, occasionally compound with a smaller male spike near its base; lower spikes female, often male at the top, 5–20 × 2–5 mm, usually < male spikes. Glumes < utricles, ovate, subacute, dark brown to almost black, coriaceous, midrib narrow to broad, green, scarcely reaching tip of glume. Utricles 2.5–4.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm, narrow-ovoid to orbicular-ovoid, gradually tapering above, much compressed, green with minute red-brown spots when mature, conspicuously nerved, margins smooth; beak almost wanting, orifice entire or minutely bidentate; stipe < 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5–2 mm. long, biconvex, orbicular-ovoid, dull grey.
Similar taxa
Carex gaudichaudiana is most similar to C. sinclairii Boott and C. subdola Boott from which it is easily distinguished by its overall smaller size, narrower leaves and sessile spikes.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North and South Islands from about the northern Waikato south. Also in Australia and New Guinea.
Habitat
Lowland to alpine in wetlands, bogs and mires, along river flats, in seepages, around the margins of lakes, ponds and tarns.
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 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Carex vulgaris var. gaudichaudiana (Kunth) Boott
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
December–April
Life cycle and dispersal
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. Although a wetland species, C. gaudichaudiana will grow well in most soils and moisture regimes. Does best in full sun.
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]
OBL: Obligate Wetland
Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
gaudichaudiana: After Gaudichaud-Baupre
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.
CARGAU
Chromosome number
2n = 72
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 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened
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.
Attribution
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.