Festuca ultramafica
Common name
serpentinite fescue
Synonyms
None (first described in 1998)
Family
Poaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Grasses
Chromosome number
2n = 56
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Nelson (Dun Mt, near Mt Duppa, Motueka River)).
Habitat
Montane to alpine. Confined to soils derived from ultramafic parent material. Mostly in open grassland or sparsely vegetated rubble, boulder fields and scree
Features
Tufted shortly rhizomatous ultramafic endemic grass with stiff, pungent, thick leaf-blades which are notably much shorter than the tall smooth culmed inflorescence of ± violet suffused spikelets. Branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath 30-40 mm, striate, glabrous or minutely antrorsely prickle-toothed, becoming red-brown and fibrous; apical auricle 0.5-1 mm, rounded, ciliate. Ligule 0.5-1.0 mm, erose, ciliate. Leaf-blade 60.0-120 cm x 0.6-1.2 mm diameter, conduplicate, somewhat compressed, pungent, stiff, strict or slightly curved, ribbed, glabrous, adaxially and on margins abundant short white hairs. Culm 200-500 mm, » leaves, nodes visible, internodes glabrous, sometimes violet suffused below. Panicle narrow, 60-140 mm with 4-10 nodes, 12-25 spikelets; basal branch ascending, 30-80 mm, solitary or binate, with 3-5 spikelets, naked below, nodes 2-5 with branches of 2-4 spikelets, uppermost 3-5 spikelets solitary, imbricate on short pedicels; rachis glabrous or glabrous below becoming prickle-toothed, branches and pedicels prickle-toothed or glabrous, often tortuous below. Spikelets 8-14 x 3-4 mm, sometimes violet tinged, of 3-5 florets. Glumes unequal, margins long ciliate below shorter above, keeled, glabrous except for a few prickle-teeth on keel, usually violet suffused centrally or throughout; lower 2.5-4.5 mm, 1-nerved, long-triangular acute, awn 0.4-0.8 mm or absent, upper 3.5-5.3 mm, 3-nerved, oblong acute, awn 0.5-3 mm abrupt or tapering or absent. Lemma 5-7 mm, lobes 0 or minute, 5-nerved, glaucous, glabrous except below awn, scarcely keeled, margin long ciliate below shorter above; awn 1.5-4.2 mm. Palea 5.5-6.0 mm, greater than or equal to lemma, acute, deeply bifid, keels toothed above, interkeel hairs to base denser at apex, flank margins ciliate. Callus 0.2-0.5 mm, sparsely bearded except near rachilla, articulation ± flat to oblique. Rachilla 1.0-1.6 mm, densely short stiff hairy. Lodicules 0.7-1.2 mm, lobed, hair-tipped or glabrous. Anthers 2-3 mm, yellow or golden. Ovary 0.6 mm, hispid hairs at apex or absent; stigma-styles 2 mm. Seed 3.5 mm
Flowering
Unknown - insufficiently studied and collected
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
Unknown - insufficiently studied and collected
Life cycle
Florets are dispersed by wind, water and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed and division of whole plants. Grows best in well drained, magnesium enriched soil. Can be very slow growing. Will not flower at low altitudes in warm areas and dislikes humidity
Threats
A local endemic, abundant within its preferred habitat and geographic range
Etymology
festuca: From the Latin festuca ‘stem’ or ‘blade of grass’
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.
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