Chionochloa lanea
Common name
Stewart Island snow tussock
Synonyms
None (first described in 1991)
Family
Poaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Grasses
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.
CHILAN
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. 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. 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: DP, RR
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Stewart Island.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine. Usually in montane to alpine grassland and scrub in wet, boggy, or peaty sites. Descending to almost sea level in the south on cliffs and boulder falls.
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]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Detailed description
Tall, slender tussock with abundant, long hairy, dull sheaths, and shiny, slender, deciduous leaves. Leaf-sheath to 150 mm, compressed, entire, persistent, covered with long (4 mm) interlacing internerve hairs, apical tuft of hairs to 4 mm. Ligule to 1 mm. Leaf-blade to 450 × 2 mm, V-shaped, or convolute, disarticulating at ligule, abaxially glabrous, adaxially with very short hairs at base and prickle-teeth and papillae above; margin smooth. Culm to 600 mm, internodes glabrous, slightly compressed, sheath with few or no long hairs. Inflorescence to 100 mm, pulvinate, few spikelets, abundantly long hairy. Spikelets of up to 6 florets. Glumes glabrous, acute, > adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 10 mm, 3-nerved, upper to 14 mm, 5-nerved. Lemma to 5 mm; hairs dense at margin and few or none aside central nerve, glabrous elsewhere, < sinus; lateral lobes up to 6 mm, linear-triangular; central awn up to 15 mm from twisting column to 2 mm. Palea to 6 mm. Callus to 0.8 mm, hairs to 3 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 1 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 4 mm. Seeds to 1.5 mm.
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
Flowering
November–December
Fruiting
December–April
Life cycle
Florets are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and from rooted pieces but very slow to establish. Prefers a damp soil, and is best grown in semi-shaded conditions. In the northern part of its New Zealand this species rarely flowers.
Threats
Range Restricted Stewart island endemic which is abundant throughout its known range. Plants are browsed by white-tailed deer but otherwise seem secure.
Etymology
chionochloa: Snow grass
Attribution
Description modified from Edgar and Connor (2000).
References and further reading
Edgar E, Connor HE. 2000. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Christchurch, Manaaki Whenua Press. 650 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.