Carex raoulii
Common name
coastal forest sedge, Raoul’s sedge
Synonyms
C. macmahoni 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.
CARRAO
Chromosome number
2n = 46
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). 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.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Data Deficient
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands. Exact distribution uncertain.
Habitat
Sedge of coastal and lowland shrublands.
Features
Densely tufted, tussock-forming, dark-yellow green/wine-red sedge. Culms 50-90cm × 0.5-1mm, 3-angled (trigonous), scabrid below inflorescence, greatly elongating at maturity, sometimes 3 m long. Basal sheaths dark grey-brown. Leaves < culms 2-4 mm wide, double-folded, soft, grassy, margins finely scabrid. Inflorescence of 5-7 unstalked, closely, clustered 1-4 cm x 4-7 mm spikes, arranged at top of culm, proximal portion of terminal spike female, basally male, remaining spikes all female. Glumes (excluding awn) = or < utricles, very broadly ovate, apex often cleft, membraneous, colourless with few small red brown lines, pale cream midrib extending beyond to form finely scabrid awn. Utricles 2-3 × 1.5 mm, Plano-convex, elliptic-obovoid, light reddish brown, usually with distinct pale brown nerves, slightly winged, usually scabrid on margins, and on both surfaces of upper half. Beak 0.5-1 mm long, bifid, orifice finely scabrid. Stigmas 2. Nut c.1.5 mm, biconvex, obovoid, light to dark brown.
Similar taxa
Allied to a distinctive, apparently unnamed (C.C. Ogle pers. comm.) sedge which is common throughout the sand country and coastal cliffs and shrublands of the western North Island, as well as locally present elsewhere. That sedge (known by the tag name C. “raotest”) differs from C. raoulii by the terminal spikelets all male. This is sometimes subtended by a reduced female spikelet.
Flowering
No information available
Fruiting
No information available
Life cycle
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown by division and from fresh seed.
Threats
Because of frequent confusion with the somewhat similar Carex ‘raotest’ the exact distribution and status of Carex raoulii is unclear. It is certainly less common than indicated by Flora 2, which included the very common C. ‘raotest’ within C. raoulii. Present indications are that C. raoulii might be rather uncommon.
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
raoulii: After Raoul
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (10 August 2006). 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
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Carex raoulii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-raoulii/ (Date website was queried)