Carex trachycarpa
Common names
sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Grassy, distinctly tufted sedge arising from stout, shortly ascending, woody rootstock. Culms 70–300 x c. 1 mm, trigonous, grooved, mainly smooth though rather faintly scabrid below inflorescence; basal sheaths light brown. Leaves 5–7–(10) per culm, these less than, equal to or even greater than culm length, 2.5 mm wide, channelled, margins finely scabrid toward the apex. Inflorescence a compact head 10–15 × 7 mm, composed of densely packed light or dark brown spikes. Spikes with 1–3 males at the top, lowermost 1–3 spikes subtended by a membranous, lanceolate bract whose mid vein is extended as a long scabrid awn; this sometimes exceeding the inflorescence in length. Glumes equal to or just longer than utricles, ovate, acuminate or occasionally awned, membranous, chestnut-brown to light brown, keel green, scabrid in lowermost glumes entire otherwise, margins hyaline, occasionally very broad towards glume apex. Utricles 3 × 1 mm, plano-convex, strongly nerved, dull, minutely papillose all over; slightly tapering to a beak c. 1 mm long with scabrid margins and an oblique, bifid crura; stipe 0.3 mm. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5 mm, light yellow-brown, plano-convex, oblong, smooth.
Similar taxa
The distinctive grass-like tufted growth habit, conspicuous leaf-like bracts subtended the densely packed spikes of the inflorescence, and the finely (minutely) papillose utricles distinguish this species from other New Zealand carices. In Vol. II of the New Zealand Flora series it keys out closest to the very different C. pterocarpa (see comments under that species).
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, North West Nelson, Kahurangi National Park mainly in and around Mt Owen, Mt Arthur, Mt Peel and Mt Mytton.
Habitat
A calcicole of marble and limestone subalpine to alpine habits where it it is found within tussock grassland, herbfield, fell field, gravel and rock pavements, usually in and around small ponds, seepages or flushes.
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
Not Threatened. A narrow range endemic abundant within its few known habitats, and apparently secure in all of these.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–December
Fruiting
November–May
Life cycle and dispersal
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Little known and not commonly cultivated. Plants grow well from fresh seed and by division of established specimens. Probably best kept in a pot and likely to dislike humid or wet climates. This plant is likely to prefer a free draining highly fertile soil.
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
Where To Buy
Not commerically available.
Etymology
carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
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.
CARTRA
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: RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
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.