Hierochloe redolens
Common name
holy grass, karetu
Synonyms
Holcus redolens Vahl, Avena redolens (Vahl) Pers., Anthoxanthum redolens (Vahl) D.Royen, Hierochloe antarctica var. redolens (Vahl) Raspail, Holcus redolens R.Br., Torresia redolens Roem. et Schult., Hierachloe banksiana Endl.
Family
Poaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
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.
HIERED
Chromosome number
2n = 84
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 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Indigenous. Throughout North, South and Chatham Islands. Also on the Three Kings Islands. Indigenous to Australia, New Guinea and South America
Life cycle
Florets are water and wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Etymology
hierochloe: From the Greek hieros ‘sacred’ and chloa ‘grass’ meaning holy grass. European species of this grass were once strewn on church floors.
redolens: Sweet-scented
Taxonomic notes
Hierochloe brunonis Hook.f. and H. fusca Zotov are probably better regarded as part of H. redolens.
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.
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