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  4. Festuca matthewsii subsp. latifundii

Festuca matthewsii subsp. latifundii

Spike. Harris Mountains, Otago.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Harris Mountains, Otago.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved.
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Common name

southern blue fescue

Synonyms

None (first described in 1998)

Family

Poaceae

Authority

Festuca matthewsii subsp. latifundii Connor

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Grasses

Chromosome number

2n = 42

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

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

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Waitaki Basin and Central Otago – excluding the Dunstan, Pisa, and Old Man Ranges).

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine and in intermontane basins. A major component of tussock grasslands on hills and plains

Features

Glaucous tussock with scabrid leaves and tall culms bearing reflexed branches of large spikelets. Leaf-sheath 30-100 mm, glabrous, margins membranous; apical auricles 0.4-1.0 mm, ciliate, approximately equal to ligule. Leaf-blade 80-300 × 0.5-0.9 mm, terete to ± hexagonal, undersides with short antrorse prickle-teeth especially on ribs, upper surface and margins with abundant longer white antrorse hairs. Culm 200-800 mm, usually exserted high above leaves, nodes dark, evident, internodes smooth but sometimes antrorsely scabrid. Panicle 60-180 mm, erect with 6-8 nodes, 10-20 spikelets; branches solitary or often binate, naked below, pulvinate and reflexed, basal branch 15-80 mm of 2-6 spikelets, uppermost 2-4 spikelets solitary on 2-4 mm pedicels; rachis margins prickle-toothed sometimes smooth below, branches and pedicels prickle-toothed on margins. Spikelets 10-16 × 4-6 mm, of 5-7 florets. Glumes unequal, keels sometimes prickle-toothed, centrally green, brown or reddish, margins ciliate; lower 3.0-5.5 mm, 1-nerved, upper 3.5-6.5 mm, 3-nerved. Lemma 5-8 mm, 5-nerved, glaucous, keeled, smooth except for prickle-teeth at apex, margin antrorsely hairy; awn 1-3 mm. Palea 5.0-7.5) mm, usually greater than or equal to lemma, deeply bifid, keels toothed in upper ½ or more, interkeel hairs at apex, margins of flanks hairy above. Callus 0.2-0.3 mm, margin sparsely bearded; articulation ± oblique. Rachilla 1.0-1.5 mm, abundantly short stiff hairy. Lodicules 0.7-1.4 mm, usually hair-tipped. Anthers 3.0-4.2 mm, yellow to purple. Ovary 0.6-1.0 mm, hispid hairs at apex; stigma-styles 1.2-2.0 mm. Seed 2-3 mm

Flowering

October - December

Flower colours

Violet/Purple, Yellow

Fruiting

November - March

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. An attractive grass tolerant of most conditions but dislikes humidity.

Etymology

festuca: From the Latin festuca ‘stem’ or ‘blade of grass’

matthewsii: After Mathews

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Attribution

Description modified from Edgar and Connor (2000)

References and further reading

Edgar, E.; Connor, H.E. 2000: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Christchurch, Manaaki Whenua Press. 650 pp.

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