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  4. Gahnia setifolia

Gahnia setifolia

Gahnia setifolia.<br>Photographer: Wayne Bennett, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Mature fruit. Remutaka Forest Park.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 17/12/2004, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Eastbourne.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 22/09/1998, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 30/07/2006, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Seeds of Gahnia setifolia.<br>Photographer: Wayne Bennett, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 06/07/2005, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common names

māpere, gahnia, giant gahnia, razor sedge

Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Sedges

Detailed description

Robust, large perennial sedge arising from a stout, lignaceous rootstock and forming tufts up to 3 m tall. Culms 10–15 mm diameter (but up to 20 mm at the base). Leaves ± = culms in length; lamina dark green to yellow green above paler and often glaucous beneath, harshly scabrid, rugose, margins involute and scabrid with a few longitudinal rows of teeth just inside the margin on the upper lamina surface; sheaths up to 300 mm long, dull brownish-black. Panicle robust up to 1 m long, drooping, branches numerous, primary branchlets up to 400 mm long. Spikelets 2-flowered, 6–7 mm long, stalked, dark red-brown to blackish brown. Glumes 6–7; 3–4 outermost empty, 5–6 mm long, 3 inner glumes 4 mm long in young flowers white with a red-brown apex, becoming dark red-brown throughout as fruit matures. Stamens 4–(6). Style-branches 3. Nut 3.5–4.5 mm long, 1.9–2 mm diameter, elliptic-obovoid, smooth and glossy, yellow-cream at first, maturing reddish brown when fully ripe; endocarp transversely grooved within.

Similar taxa

Gahnia setifolia could only ever be confused with the other giants of the New Zealand species G. rigida Kirk and G. xanthocarpa (Hook.f.) Hook.f. Of these species G. setifolia most frequently grows with G. xanthocarpa which differs by its glossy light to dark green leaves, reddish brown spikelets which are > 7 mm long, and dark glossy black nuts which are > 5 mm long. From G. rigida, G. setifolia differs by its drooping rather than rigidly erect panicle and reddish brown rather than bicoloured light brown/dark brown nuts with black centres.

Distribution

Endemic. North Island (throughout), South Island (Nelson and Marlborough Sounds).

Habitat

Coastal to montane (up to 780 m a.s.l., possibly higher). Mostly in lowland areas in light forest, scrub along logging tracks in pine plantations and cut over indigenous forest and lining streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. Sometimes colonising the fringes of swamps, bogs and mires.

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

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Cyperaceae

Authority

Gahnia setifolia (A.Rich.) Hook.f.

Synonyms

Lampocarya setifolia A.Rich.

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

November–March

Fruiting

Fruits may be found throughout the year

Life cycle and dispersal

Florets are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Propagation technique

Can be difficult to cultivate. The seed is difficult to germinate, and plants resent root disturbance and usually die if transplanted. However, considerable success has been achieved growing plants and/or germinating seed in untreated saw dust. Despite these problems this is an attractive species well worth attempting to grow. Once established it flourishes in a range of conditions but does best in full sun in a well drained or only seasonally wet soil.

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]

FACU: Facultative Upland

Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).

Other information

Cultural Use/Importance

Māpere is often known as razor sedge on account of its wickedly sharp leaves which are a constant hazard to those pushing tracks through places where this species has become well established. Māpere flourishes on damp clay and other forest soils, such as those left exposed following logging operations.

Etymology

gahnia: After Gahn

setifolia: With bristly leaves

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.

GAHSET

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

Jump to current conservation status

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Gardner RO. 1995. Identifying Gahnia setifolia and G. xanthocarpa. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 50: 82–83.

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 by P.J. de Lange (30 October 2005). Description adapted from Moore and 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.

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Gahnia setifolia Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/gahnia-setifolia/ (Date website was queried)

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