Isolepis aucklandica
Synonyms
Isolepis subcucullata Bergg.; Isolepis cartilaginea var. rigida Bergg.; Scirpus aucklandicus (Hook.f.) Boeck; S. aucklandicus var. subcucullata (Bergg.) C.B. Clarke; Scirpus muscosus Kirk;
Family
Cyperaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Sedges
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.
ISOAUC
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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. New Zealand: North, South, Stewart, Antipodes, Auckland, Campbell, Macquarie Islands. Also in Australia.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine (up to 1300 m a.s.l.). Mostly montane in the northern part of its range. A species of boggy ground in forest as well as wetlands, often growing on peaty turf on forest margins or on permanently damp rock shelves or seepages in forest.
Features
Widely creeping, bright green, leafy, rhizomatous sedge forming large, turfy patches. Rhizome c.0.5 mm. diameter. Culms 10.0–80.0 x c.0.5 mm, bright green above, red-brown towards the base, rigid. Leaves up to 6 per culm, usually > culms, c.0.5 mm wide, or often setaceous and filiform, coriaceous, curved; sheaths with truncate orifice, pale brown and membranous, often streaked with red, rarely entirely dark red-purple. Inflorescence apparently lateral, of 1–2 narrow-oblong spikelets, 1.0–4.0 × 0.5–2 mm, partly hidden by the enlarged base of a subtending bract up to 5 times length of spikelet. Glumes 1.5–2.5 mm long, lanceolate, acute, caducous, green to pale grey-brown with reddish marks or deep red-purple, margins tapered and often pinched in at the tip below the green, thickened, ± excurrent keel. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3. Nut 1–2 mm long, slightly > 0.5 mm wide, almost = glume, elliptical, ± trigonous with rounded angles, almost white to yellowish, or grey- to red-brown, smooth and shining but very finely reticulate, tapering towards the apiculate black tip.
Similar taxa
Isolepis aucklandica is easily distinguished by its bright green colour; leaves mostly > culms; 3 stamens per glume (rarely 1-2 in upper portion of spikelet); by the glume-margins and nut tapering toward the tip; and by the cream nut.
Flowering
October - December
Fruiting
November - May
Life cycle
Nuts are dispersed by water and possibly granivory and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by division of established plants. Requires a permanently moist, acidic soil to flourish. Best grown in partial to full shade
Etymology
isolepis: From the Greek isos (equal) and lepis (scale)
aucklandica: Of the Auckland Islands
Where To Buy
Not commercially availabe
Attribution
Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970)
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.
Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.
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