Centrolepis ciliata
Common name
centrolepis
Synonyms
Gaimardia ciliata Hook.f.; Alepyrum ciliatum (Hook.f.) Hieron.; Centrolepis viridis Kirk; Centrolepis viridis Kirk var. ligulata (Kirk) Cheeseman; Pseudalepyrum ciliatum (Hook.f.) Dandy; Pseudalepyrum ciliatum (Hook.f.) Dandy var. ligulatum (Kirk) Dandy
Family
Restionaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Monocots
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.
CENCIL
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 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North (from Central Volcanic Plateau and adjacent main axial ranges south), South, Stewart, Auckland and Campbell Islands. Also Tasmania
Habitat
In upper montane, subalpine to alpine bogs through main islands but descending to sea level in the pakihi of Westland, in Southland, Stewart Island and in the subantarctic Islands
Features
Diminutive, moss like herbs forming very broad, dark red-green to red-brown, broad, raised cushions up to 300 mm wide and up to 80 mm tall. Roots rather thick, fleshy, white or grey, up to 0.5 mm diameter. Stems very closely packed. Leaves 5–25 mm long, distichous, closely imbricate, setaceous, lamina channelled or terete, tip minutely acicular; sheath with ciliate margins, often produced at the tip into a ligule. Flowering stems > leaves. Glume-like bracts 2, ± equal, minutely papillate, tips inrolled, apparently opposite but the lowermost encloses a short peduncle bearing the upper glume and its flowers. Pseudanthia 1–2 in the lower bract, 1 rarely 2 in the upper, each subtended by a hyaline scale. Male 1 or 0 in each pseudanthium. Female 2 (rarely 1) in each pseudanthium; stigmas bright red, not connate at the base. Seed slightly < 1 mm long, oblong-elliptical, pale yellow, apiculate at each end, one tip very dark
Similar taxa
Recognised by the moss-like, compact, dark red-green to brown-green, broad, raised cushions, and leaves which have finely ciliate sheaths rather than ciliate sheaths and leaves.
Flowering
November – January
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Yellow
Fruiting
January - March
Life cycle
Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
Etymology
centrolepis: Pointed scale
ciliata: From the Latin cilia ‘eyelash’, meaning fringed with hairs
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange 14 August 2006. Description adapted from Moore & 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 11: 285-309
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Centrolepis ciliata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/centrolepis-ciliata/ (Date website was queried)