Carex lambertiana
Common names
forest sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Tufts robust, leafy, 0.6–1.0 m tall. Culms 1–2 mm diameter, trigonous, smooth; basal sheaths dark grey-brown or purple-black. Leaves ± = culms, 3–6 mm wide, double-folded, bright green or yellow-green, margins finely scabrid. Spikes 5–8; terminal 1–(3) spikes male; remaining spikes female, often male at the base, 15–50 × 5–7 mm, cylindrical, uppermost spikes approximate and sessile, lower spikes more distant, erect, on short, stiff peduncles. Glumes (excluding awn) ± = utricles, ovate, pinkish brown to chestnut-brown, membranous, hyaline margins often very broad, tip deeply emarginate, the light green or brown midrib produced to a scabrid awn. Utricles 2.5–3.5 × c. 1.5 mm, biconvex, obovoid, turgid, usually dark brown to almost purple-black throughout with distinct, paler brown nerves, shining; beak slightly < 1 mm long, bifid, with very divergent crura, margins and orifice scabrid. Stigmas 3. Nut c. 1.5 mm long, trigonous, light to dark brown, surface minutely pitted.
Similar taxa
Carex lambertiana often grows with C. dissita Sol. ex Boott, C. ochrosaccus (Cheeseman) Hamlin, and C. solandri Boott. Of these species it is most similar to C. dissita from which it differs by the stouter, more robust habit, larger spikelets usually erect, shortly pedunculate spikelets bearing more numerous flowers and utricles; obovoid rather than ovoid utricles, and glumes which have deeply emarginate apices. From C. ochrosaccus with which it often grows, it differs by the longer, darker brown to almost purple black utricles and by the glumes which have deeply emarginate tips. Carex lambertiana could also be confused with C. solandri from which it is easily distinguished by the usually short rather than long pedunculate, erect rather than pendulous, spikelets.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North and South Islands. In the North Island abundant from Te Paki to about the southern Waikato, otherwise uncommon. In the South Island known from Nelson, Marlborough and northern Canterbury.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Usually in relatively open but shaded sites within tall forest or in riparian forest along riversides and on river terraces. Sometimes establishes in parks within urban areas
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
Carex dissita Boott var. lambertiana (Boott) Cheeseman
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September–December
Fruiting
Throughout the year
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of established plants. A far superior species to the widely cultivated C. dissita, and it deserves to be more widely grown. It does best in partial shade, within a rich, free draining soil. This species occasionally naturalises in urban areas.
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]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (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.
CARLAM
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
Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (31 August 2006): Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970) - see also de Lange et al. (2010).
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 lambertiana Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-lambertiana/ (Date website was queried)