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  4. Carex inversa

Carex inversa

In driveway, Mt Eden Auckland.<br>Photographer: Marley Ford, Date taken: 21/12/2022, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
In driveway, Mt Eden Auckland.<br>Photographer: Marley Ford, Date taken: 21/12/2022, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Carex inversa.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Carex inversa.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Coromandel.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Date taken: 03/11/2013, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
In driveway, Mt Eden Auckland.<br>Photographer: Marley Ford, Date taken: 21/12/2022, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
In driveway, Mt Eden Auckland.<br>Photographer: Marley Ford, Date taken: 21/12/2022, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common names

creeping lawn sedge

Biostatus

Native

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Sedges

Detailed description

Rhizomatous, extensively creeping yellow-green to green sedge. Plants variable in size, usually flaccid, forming a matted sward. Rhizome long-creeping, to 2 mm diameter, covered by closely appressed brown scales or their fibrous remains; shoots ± distant, singly from the rhizome, c. 1 mm diameter at base including basal sheaths. Culms 20–450 × c. 0.5–1.0 mm, weak, smooth, green to yellow-green, obtusely trigonous; basal sheaths pale brown almost cream. Leaves < mature culms, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, channelled to flat, soft, grass-like, margins usually smooth or very minutely scabrid towards tip. Inflorescence a pale green or bright green ovate head, c. 10 mm long, of 2–5 closely packed ± sessile spikes, or occasionally 1–2 spikes distant from the rest; bracts subtending inflorescence and lower spikes green and leafy, much longer than inflorescence. Spikes androgynous, 4–8 mm long, male flowers 1–3 at base of spikes, occasionally 0. Glumes < utricles, ovate, acuminate, white or pale brown, with a green, faintly scabrid keel. Utricles 3.0–3.5 × c.1.5 mm, plano-convex, ovoid, elliptical, distinctly nerved on convex face, light greenish brown; narrowed to a scabrid beak c.1 mm long; stipe slightly > 0.5 mm long, pale cream. Stigmas 2. Nut c. 1.5 mm. long, plano-convex, broadly oblong, shortly stipitate, light to dark brown.

Similar taxa

Perhaps most similar to Carex colensoi Boott, from which it is distinguished by the shortly creeping, usually flaccid, trailing habit, and yellow-green to green rather than long trailing, light-green (almost glaucous) culms topped by 2–5 (rarely 1–2) pale green to light yellow-brown spikes rather than relatively large inflorescences composed of 1–4 clustered brown spikes. The utricles of C. inversa are prominently beaked and nerved; those of C. colensoi are scarcely beaked utricles and with indistinct nerves.

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: North and South Islands

Habitat

Coastalt to montane - but mostly coastal to lowland. In scrub, open forest, and grassland. A common urban weed of lawns in northern New Zealand. This species has probably become more common as a result of human colonisation of the country.

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

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Cyperaceae

Authority

Carex inversa R.Br.

Synonyms

Carex smaragdina Col.

Endemic taxon

No

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

Throughout the year

Fruiting

Throughout the year

Life cycle and dispersal

Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Easily (too easily) grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. An aggressive plant in most situations which readily spreads from seed and by detachment of the rhizome. This species is unlikely to be deliberately cultivated though it can be a useful ground cover in dry, open situations. Carex inversa is often spread by lawn mowers, and once established can prove difficult to control.

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]

FACU: Facultative Upland

Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).

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.

CARINV

Chromosome number

2n = c.40-44

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

Jump to current conservation status

Regional conservation statuses

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.

Otago: 2024 | Regionally 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.

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

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN 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 inversa Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-inversa/ (Date website was queried)

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