Connorochloa tenuis
Common names
prostrate bluegrass
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
Prostrate, bronze-leaved grass. Upper culm (stem) internode greatly elongating after flowering and trailing along ground. Leaf-sheath 5–7 cm, hairless. Ligule 0.25–0.3 mm, very finely hairy. Leaf-blade 10–15 cm × 2 mm, bronzed, flat, sometimes rolled, smooth. hairless, ribbed, undersides with small prickle-teeth. Culm to 2 m or more, slender, trailing along ground, upper internode elongating after flowering, sometimes up to 1.5 m. Inflorescence wheat-like 10–15 cm, containing up to 15 spikelets. Awn 15–35 mm. Seed 4.5–5 mm. Description adapted from Edgar & Connor (2000).
Similar taxa
Connorochloa tenuis can be distinguished from all other indigenous Elymoid grasses by the easily detached culm trailing on the ground, by the uppermost internode greatly elongating following flowering, by the spikelets being appressed to the inflorescence stem, and by the anthers 2–3 mm long, coloured uniformly yellow. Connorochlora is morphologically most similar to some species of Anthosachne, differing from them in being octoploid and its combination of basal leaves that are 1–1.5–(2.0) mm wide, upper glumes that have 1.3–6.5 mm long awns, and straight lemma awns (9)–15–(35) mm long. Connorochloa is a new, monotypic genus established by Barkworth et al. (2011).
Distribution
Endemic. North Island (Volcanic Plateau and Ruahine Range), South Island (North-west Nelson, Marlborough and east of main divide).
Habitat
A species of open short tussock (Festuca)-dominated grassland from sea-level to 900 m.
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: DPR, DPS, DPT
Threats
As large parts of its former range have become increasingly overwhelmed by introduced pasture grasses, observations suggest that Connorochloa has declined. However, there have been no serious attempts to quantify this decline, making an accurate conservation assessment impractical.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Agropyron scabrum var. tenue Buchanan, A. tenue (Buchanan) Connor; Elymus tenuis (Buchanan) Á.Löve et Connor
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
No information available
Fruiting
No information available
Life cycle and dispersal
Florets are dispersed by wind and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from divisions of whole plants and from fresh seed.
Other information
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for August 2016 for the full story.
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.
CONTEN
Chromosome number
2n = 56
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 | Data Deficient
2012 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP
2009 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Data Deficient
Regional conservation statuses
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.
Otago: 2024 | Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NS, PF, Sp
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Barkworth ME, Jacobs SWL. 2011: The Triticeae (Gramineae) in Australasia. Telopea 13: 37–56.
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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange May 2004. Description adapted from Edgar & Connor (2000).
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Connorochloa tenuis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/connorochloa-tenuis/ (Date website was queried)