Carex hamlinii
Common names
Hamlin’s hook grass, Hamlin’s bastard grass
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Dark green, densely caespitose plants. Culms 0.2–0.6 m long, < 0.5 mm diameter, glabrous; basal bracts light brown. Leaves 3–6 per culm, = or < culms, 1–2 mm wide, light yellow-green or rarely red, occasionally involute, rather wiry, margins finely scabrid. Spikes 40–100 × 3–5 mm, occasionally bracteate, female flowers c. 10–20, distant in lower third of spike with internodes to 9 mm long, more crowded above with internodes 2–5 mm long. Glumes usually = but occasionally < or > utricles, deciduous, lanceolate, acute, hyaline, light brown throughout. Utricles 5.5–7.0 × c. 1 mm, plano-convex or subtrigonous, elliptic-lanceolate, grey-green, membranous, nerved, erect or spreading when ripe, distinctly contracted below to a stipe slightly < 1.5 mm long, gradually tapered above to a beak 1.5–2.0 mm long.
Similar taxa
This fine-leaved species has a superficial resemblance to Carex subviridis K.A.Ford which also has a gracile habit, and rather fine light-green leaves and lax inflorescences. From that species it is easily distinguished by its glabrous rather than scabrid utricles.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand. North Island( Southern Ruahine and Tararua Ranges), South Island (Nelson, Westland, Otago, Fiordland).
Habitat
Usually associated with the understorey of beech (Nothofagus) forest, growing at elevations of 300–1200 m a.s.l.
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
Uncinia astonii Hamlin
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–December
Fruiting
December–March
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of established plants (though these may then take a while to settle). Prefers a shaded site, and should be planted within a deep, rich, free draining but permanently moist soil
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.
CARHAM
Chromosome number
2n = 88
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
Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970). Fact sheet prepared by Peter J. de Lange 17 August 2006.
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 hamlinii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-hamlinii/ (Date website was queried)