Carpha alpina
Common names
carpha
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Tufted perennial sedge. Culms 30–750 × 0.5–1.5 mm, grooved , flaccid or rigid (often with curled or curved apices). Leaves numerous, grey-green or red-green, 50–300 × 0.5–2.0 mm, usually culms, rigid, lamina narrow-linear, flat or concavo-convex, apex obtuse; sheath broad, brown, shining; lower portion of lamina and mouth of sheath minutely serrulate. Inflorescence a terminal corymb, occasionally condensed to form a compact head, or comprising discrete spikelets in 4–6 loose stalked clusters; bracts subtending inflorescence 1–2, foliaceous; bracts subtending spikelets plumose. Spikelets 8–12 mm long, pale and lustrous, 1-flowered. Glumes usually 5, lanceolate, more or less obtuse, stiffly membranous, keeled the lower 2 shorter, the next larger pair subtending the flower, the fifth glume setaceous. Hypogynous bristles 6, plumose with silky hairs almost to the apex, then scabrid, > glumes when mature. Nut 2.5–3.0 mm long, stipitate, pale to dark brown, surmounted by the dried and rigid, long, narrow, smooth or minutely hairy style-base.
Similar taxa
Carpha has a superficial resemblance to grasses of the genus Rytidosperma Steud on account of the plumose bracts subtending the spikelets and also the plumose seta that form a perianth around the flower and later the nut. From Rytidosperma it is easily distinguished by the rigidly flat, narrow-linear grey-green or red-green leaves, usually corymbose inflorescence, flowers which lack lemma, palea, and by the distinctive, stipitate nut. Carpha cannot be confused however with any other indigenous or naturalised cyperaceous genus.
Distribution
Indigenous. Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand known from the North, South, Stewart and Auckland Islands. In the North Island it is known locally from te Moehau south becoming more common along the main axial ranges and on the volcanic plateau.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine in bogs, mires and other moderately open shrublands overlying poorly drained soils and peat. in the northern part of its range strictly montane to alpine, descending to the coast on the west coast and southern portion of the South Island, Stewart and Auckland Islands.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Cyperaceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
November–January
Fruiting
February–May
Life cycle and dispersal
Pappate nuts are dispersed by wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Although rather slow growing this species is easily cultivated in a pot partially submerged in water. In the wild it is variable with tall and short forms which seem to retain these stature differences in cultivation. From a horticultural perspective some selection from these may be useful. Like many cyperaceous species, Carpha alpina resents root disturbance and can be fickle from seed.
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
Etymology
carpha: Straw
alpina: From the Latin alpes ‘the Alps’, refers to plants growing in mountainous areas
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.
CARALP
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
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
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.