Carex pterocarpa
Common name
sedge
Synonyms
Carex thomsonii Petrie
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.
CARPTE
Current conservation status
The threat classification 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. Authors: By 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. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Old Man Range (South Canterbury), Central Otago (Dunstan, Rock & Pillar and other nearby ranges).
Habitat
An alpine species associated with open fell field, cushion bog, and windswept, moist and stable rock or gravel pavements.
Features
Short, squat, tufted, rather coarse-leaved sedge. Rhizome short, 2 mm diameter, woody, covered by fibrous leaf and leaf-sheath remnants. Culms 20-50 mm tall, much less than leaves in length, and almost hidden by leaf-sheaths, triquetrous, scabrid; basal sheaths grey-brown or chestnut. Leaves 20-60 x 1-3 mm, somewhat distichously arranged, channelled, coriaceous, margins and keel minutely though harshly scabrid, tapering to an ± acute apex; sheaths dull brown, membranous ± or equal lamina in length. Inflorescence an ovate, triangular, 7 x 7 mm, brownish head comprised of 2-4 congested spikes, the lowermost sometimes subtended by a leaf-like bract. Spikes 4-6 mm long, male flowers at top of spike, rarely at base. Glumes ± or equal utricle length, ovate, acute, membranous, midrib short, thick set, green, keel of lowermost glumes often rather scabrid. Utricles 3 x 2 mm, plano-convex, elliptic-ovoid, ± papillose, nerved, dark brown with pale brown conspicuous wings, margins strongly scabrid; beak narrow, 0.7-0.9 mm, crura bifid, oblique; stipe minute. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5 mm, brown, biconvex, smooth, styles persistent.
Similar taxa
A singular and distinctive sedge which is only distantly allied to C. kaloides Petrie, C. muelleri Petrie, and C. kirkii Petrie, and has a superficial similarity to reduced states of C. breviculmis R.Br. In the Flora of New Zealand, Vol. II it is keyed out closest to C. trachycarpa Cheeseman a much taller and finer-leaved sedge which it does not even remotely resemble. The alpine habitat, short squat tufted growth habit, rather short, coarsely harsh leaves, and large (for the size of the plant) finely papillose dark brown utricles are serve to separate it from most species except perhaps C. kirkii, which is a larger plant, with involute rather than channelled leaves. Reduced forms of C. breviculmis have a superficially similarity but can be distinguished by their distinctly pubescent, pale yellow-green utricles.
Flowering
November - January
Fruiting
November - August
Life cycle
Winged utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult in warm, wet or humid climates. Best grown in a small pot, kept partially submerged in water. Prefers full sun and a high fertility, free draining soil.
Threats
Not threatened. A naturally uncommon species of mainly high altitude schist mountains.
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970)
References and further reading
Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2009 Vol. 11 No. 4 pp. 285-309