Centrolepis pallida
Common names
centrolepis
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Monocots
Detailed description
Dense, pale or bright green, moss-like cushions. Roots comparatively thick, but < 0.5 mm diameter Stems 15–40 mm long. Leaves 6–9 mm long, < 0.5 mm. wide, distichous, equitant at the base, closely imbricate up the stem, lamina stiff, erect, glabrous, subulate, laterally compressed or occasionally channelled, narrowed to an acute or occasionally shortly acicular tip; leaf-sheaths c. ½ length of lamina, very pale cream, membranous, without ligule or auricles. Flowering stems about equal leaves in length. Floral bracts 2, ± opposite, unequal in length, the lower larger. Pseudanthia, 1 in each floral bract, or 1 bract without pseudanthium; male 1 only, in the lowermost pseudanthium, at maturity the filament elongated excessively and the anther far exserted; female 1–3–(4) in each pseudanthium; hyaline scales 0. Seed ± 0.5 mm long, oblong-obovate, apiculate at one end.
Similar taxa
Recognised by the pale or bright green, moss-like, cushion forming, perennial rather than annual growth habit and pale or bright green, densely imbricating glabrous leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Central Volcanic Plateau, and Ruahine Range), South Island (Otago, Southland and Fiordland), Auckland Islands and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku.
Habitat
Montane to alpine in bogs descending to near sea level in the Subantarctic 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.
- 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
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Gaimardia pallida Hook.f.; Alepyrum pallidum (Hook.f.) Hook.f.; Pseudalepyrum pallidum (Hook.f.) Dandy; Centrolepis minima Kirk
Taxonomic notes
Centrolepis was formerly in the family Centrolepidaceae, which was shown by Briggs et al. (2014) to be embedded within Restionaceae. Based on these findings, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group adopted an enlarged concept of Restionaceae that included Centrolepidaceae (APG IV 2016), which is followed by NZPCN.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December–January
Fruiting
January–March
Life cycle and dispersal
Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild.
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
centrolepis: Pointed scale
pallida: From the Latin pallidus ‘pale or pallid’
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.
CENPAL
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 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NS, NStr, RR
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.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. 2016. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV. Botanical Journal of the Linnaean Society 181: 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12385.
Briggs BG, Marchant AD, Perkins AJ. 2014. Phylogeny of the restiid clade (Poales) and implications for the classification of Anarthriaceae, Centrolepidaceae and Australian Restionaceae. Taxon 63: 24–46. https://doi.org/10.12705/631.1.
Ford KA. 2014. Centrolepidaceae. In: Breitwieser I, Brownsey PJ, Heenan PB, Wilton AD. Flora of New Zealand - Seed Plants. Fascicle 2. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln. https://doi.org/10.7931/J2H41PBX
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 for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (14 August 2006). Description adapted from Moore & 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.