Carex raoulii
Common names
coastal forest sedge, Raoul’s sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Densely tufted, tussock-forming, dark-yellow green/wine-red sedge. Culms 50–90 cm × 0.5–1 mm, 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 × 4–7 mm spikes, arranged at top of culm, proximal portion of terminal spike female, basally male, remaining spikes all female. Glumes (excluding awn) ≤ 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.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands. Exact distribution uncertain.
Habitat
Sedge of coastal and lowland shrublands.
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
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 Moore & Edgar (1970), who included the very common C. ‘raotest’ within C. raoulii. Present indications are that C. raoulii might be rather uncommon.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
C. macmahoni Petrie
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
No information available
Fruiting
No information available
Life cycle and dispersal
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.
Other information
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
raoulii: After Raoul
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
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
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Data Deficient
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, Sp
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 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 raoulii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/carex-raoulii/ (Date website was queried)