Carex uncifolia
Common names
sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Shortly rhizomatous, dark purple red to beetroot red, densely tufted sedge 30–70 mm tall. Culms completely obscured by light grey-brown, chartaceous, somewhat fibrillose leaf-sheaths. Leaves 0.5 mm wide, dark purple-red, maroon red to beetroot red, much > culms, plano-convex, nerved on the undersides, smooth on the upper surface, margins scabrid, apex subobtuse, often curled. Inflorescence composed of short densely compacted spikelets, these 3–4–(5), terminal spike male, rather slender, shortly pedunculate, glumes lanceolate, acute, red-brown; remaining spikes female, these sessile, 5–12-flowered, glumes 3.5 × 1.5 mm, dull red-brown, distinctly nerved, lanceolate, acute with the mid rib extending into a scabrid awn. Utricles 2–3.5 × 1.5 mm, biconvex to obscurely trigonous, elliptic-lanceolate, spreading when mature, light red-brown, distinctly nerved, narrowed to a more or less scabrid beak 0.5–1 mm long, bidentate, orifice scabrid. Stigmas 3. Nut 1.5 mm long, dark grey-brown, obtusely trigonous, oblong-obovoid.
Similar taxa
A well marked species distinguished from the closely allied C. libera (Kük.) Hamlin and C. filamentosa Petrie by the spikes which lie almost buried within the leaves, sessile female spikes and shortly rhizomatous habit. It could be confused with C. hectorii Petrie but that species has much wider, green or reddish-green leaves, and smooth, dark brown mature utricles.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands. In the North Island known only from the Central Volcanic Plateau from Mt Hauhangatahi and in the nearby Moawhango. In the South Island much more widespread known from the Red Hills, between the Wairau Valley and Nelson, south through Canterbury to Central Otago.
Habitat
A species of damp seepages, open wetlands and damp turf within tussock grassland. Also abundant in damp sites overlying ultramafic rocks.
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 – Declining | Qualifiers: Sp, DPR, DPS, DPT, RR
Threats
Naturally uncommon, this species has a biologically sparse distribution, reaching its greatest abundance on ultramafites on the Red Hills, West Dome and the Livingston Range. Elsewhere it is uncommon and some populations have been lost due to weed invasion, trampling from horses and through vehicle damage.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Carex cardrona Hamlin
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September–January
Fruiting
October–May
Life cycle and dispersal
Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from division of whole plants and fresh seed. Best kept in a pot because it is intolerant of competition and slow growing. Deos best in a free draining, moist soil, enriched with magnesium. A very attractive and unusual sedge ideal for tub and pot cultivation on patios and verandahs
Other information
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.
CARUNC
Chromosome number
2n = c.60
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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: RR, St, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR, Sp, St
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR, St, Sp
2004 | Range Restricted
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: DPT, NStr, PF, RR, TL
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 “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.
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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
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.