Carex healyi
Common names
harsh-leaved bastard grass, hook sedge
Synonyms
Uncinia leptostachya Raoul var. scabra (Boott) Hook.f.; Uncinia disticha Col.; Uncinia scabra Boott
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.
UNCSCA
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) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. 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. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand. North Island from Great Barrier Island and the Kaipara south (most common in the east). South Island (Nelson and thence east of the main divide to about Dunedin).
Habitat
Coastal to subalpine. Usually in dense lowland to montane forest. However, also locally common in dune forest and scrub in the northern part of its range.
Detailed description
Rather harsh-textured, rigidly erect, densely tufted, yellow-green, olive-green or dull bluish green plants. Culms 250–900 mm tall, usually < 1 mm diameter, erect, strongly scabrid towards the top; basal sheaths dark brown. Leaves 3–6 per culm, > or = culm, 2–3 mm wide, narrow-linear, moderately scabrid on margins and on upper surface along midvein, tips subacute in shorter leaves, more tapering and filiform in longer leaves. Spikes 30–100 long, bracteate, lowermost glume often broad and leaf-like, much > spike, or the midrib greatly extended forming a long filiform awn, female flowers c. 10, lax, internodes to 8 mm long at base of spike, 2–4 mm long above. Glumes < or = utricles, persistent, obtuse or lowermost subacute, membranous, very light brown, the midrib of lower glumes often scabrid. Utricles 4.5–6.0 × c. 1 mm, plano-convex or subtrigonous, grey-brown, scabrid on both surfaces towards the apex, narrowed above to a beak 1 mm long and scarcely narrowed below to a greenish stipe 1.0–1.5 mm long.
Flowering
October–November
Fruiting
November–March–(June)
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by division of established plants. Can be grown in a wide variety of soils from free-draining to permanently moist - but resents water logging. Best in semi-shade.
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (31 September 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.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carex healyi Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-healyi/ (Date website was queried)