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  4. Isolepis lenticularis

Isolepis lenticularis

National Park.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 24/01/2009, 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>
National Park.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 24/01/2009, 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>
Herbarium specimen ex National Park Swamp.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Herbarium specimen ex National Park Swamp.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Herbarium specimen ex National Park Swamp.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Herbarium specimen ex west Moawhango River.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Herbarium specimen ex Pukeonake Stream.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Waiouru. Feb 2007.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Waiouru. Feb 2007.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
National Park.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 24/01/2009, 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>
National Park.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 24/01/2009, 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>
Waiouru. Feb 2007.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Isolepis fluitans var. lenticularis showing growth habit, Herbarium specimen ex Pukeonake Stream.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Isolepis fluitans var. lenticularis - plant bearing spikelets, Herbarium specimen ex Pukeonake Stream.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Isolepis fluitans var. lenticularis - close up of spikelets, Herbarium specimen ex Pukeonake Stream.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
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Synonyms

Scirpus fluitans L., Eleogiton fluitans (L.) Link, Isolepis fluitans (L.) R.Br.; Isolepis fluitans (L.) R.Br. var. fluitans - all refer to a Northern Hemisphere plant not in New Zealand

Family

Cyperaceae

Authority

Isolepis lenticularis R.Br.

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

No

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Structural class

Sedges

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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: SO

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, SO

2004 | Gradual Decline

Distribution

Indigenous. Cosmopolitan. In New Zealand known from North and South Islands.

Habitat

Slow to fast flowing streams, ponds, tarns or lakes, often found floating amongst other plants such as Baumea arthrophylla (Nees) Boeck., Isolepis crassiuscula Hook.f., or by itself. In alpine habitats often the only aquatic macrophyte present, and in these habitats it can be found in very fast flowing, well aerated water. Usually forming diffuse, submerged to semi-emergent patches but also rarely found as an emergent in ephemeral wetlands, in which case it forms dense mats.

Features

Annual or short-lived perennial, forming diffuse to dense floating or terrestrial mats. Roots minute, rhizomes thread-like, green above ground. Culms 10-47(or more) mm , 0.2-1.1 mm diam., with one or more internodes, peduncle 10-190 mm, 0.2-0.9 mm diam. Leaf sheath 3-25 x 0.3-1.7 mm, green or brown, lamina 2-80 x 0.2-1.1 mm. Inflorescence terminal, not proliferating; bract 2-12 x 0.3 - 1.3 mm. Spikelet 1, 2.4-9.4 x 0.7-2.7 mm, with 4-28 glumes. Glumes 1.5-3.4 x 0.5-1.3 mm, acute to obtuse, green or with brown patches, midrib green extending beyond glume to a fine mucro

Similar taxa

Most commonly confused with I. crassiuscula which differs from I. lenticularis in having 3 stamens, and much wider spikelets. The culms in this species are usually yellow-green to glaucous, not grass-green as in I. lenticularis.

Flowering

December - March

Fruiting

January - May

Propagation technique

Difficult and should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Threatened throughout New Zealand by the spread of wetland weeds, eutrophication, and wetland drainage. In the North Island virtually confined to the Central Volcanic Plateau, though it was once widespread from Northland to the Manawatu. In the South Island now virtually restricted to the West Coast where it is still locally common.

Etymology

isolepis: From the Greek isos (equal) and lepis (scale)

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (14 April 2006). Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970)

References and further reading

Ito, Y.; Viljoen, J-A.; Tanaka, N.; Yano, O.; Muasya, A.M. 2015: Phylogeny of Isolepis (Cyperaceae) revisited: non-monophyletic nature of I. fluitans sensu lato and resurrection of I. lenticularis. Plant Systematics and Evolution 301:1-8.

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.

Isolepis habra

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

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

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