Carex lachenalii subsp. parkeri
Common names
sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Tufted sedge arising from a deeply rooted, ascending rhizome. Culms 30–200 × 1 mm, trigonous, wiry and pliant, glabrous, sometimes scabrid above; basal sheaths cream, grey or light brown. Leaves < culms, < 2 mm wide, somewhat striated, distinctly channelled or occasionally flat, graminaceous, apices obtuse to subacute, margins faintly serrulate towards the apex. Inflorescence a single dark brown terminal head, 8–15 mm long, composed of 2–4 contiguous spikes; subtending bracts scarcely different from glumes. Spikes 5–8 mm long, with male flowers confined to the base. Glumes slightly ≤ utricle length, broadly ovate, obtuse to sub-acute, dark brown with lighter brown midrib and broad, pale brown, hyaline margins. Utricles 2.5–3 × 1.5 mm, plano-convex, oblong-ovoid, indistinctly nerved, margins glabrous, contracted to a narrow, dark brown or black beak 0.5–0.6 long, this puckered below to form a broad, pale brown stipe < 0.5 mm long. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5–1.7 mm long, light brown, oblong-obovoid to almost orbicular.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the very short glume-like bracts subtending the inflorescence, small red-brown spikes and the wingless, scarcely beaked utricles. It is perhaps closest to C. echinata Murray, which differs from C. lachenalii subsp. parkeri by the distant, greenish-brown, rather than red-brown, crowded spikes, and by the mature utricles which spread outwards in a stellate pattern rather than remain compact to form a narrow, terminal spike-like head.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island from Nelson to Fiordland.
Habitat
Favouring high elevation sites (> 1000 m.a.s.l.) this sedge has been collected from damp seepages within tussock grassland, from cushion bogs and on the margins of streams.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT
Threats
Believed to be biologically sparse and naturally uncommon. However this sedge is not often collected, and further field work into its conservation status is needed.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Carex parkeri Petrie
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
October–April
Life cycle and dispersal
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Unknown
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.
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.
CARLSP
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Sparse
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 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NS, NStr, RR, Sp, St, TL
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.