Isolepis praetextata
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Tufted perennial, often prostrate or drooping, from a slender ascending rhizome c. 0.5 mm in diameter. Culms 30–300 × 0.5–1.0 mm; 1–2 basal bracts per culm, membranous, grey-brown or sometimes red-purple. Leaves (1)–2–3–(4) per culm, shorter than or equaling culms; sheath often streaked with red-purple. Inflorescence c. (3)–4–5 mm high and (3)–5–9 mm broad, usually almost semicircular in outline, of 2–5 ovate, obtuse, close packed spikelets, each usually dark red-purple, almost black below and green above to grey-brown later, rarely entirely grey-green; subtending bract much exceeding inflorescence, up to 10 cm long, rigid, as wide as a foliage leaf, red-purple at base, sometimes a second shorter subtending bract is present. Glumes 2.0–2.5 mm long, lanceolate, acute, membranous, tinged with red-purple, keel very thick, green, slightly excurrent. Stamens 3 in lower glumes, to 2–1 above. Style branches 3. Hypogynous bristles 0. Nut about half the length of the glume, c. 1.0 × 0.5 mm, trigonous, with angles slightly thickened, elliptical, smooth, pale cream, shortly stipitate and apiculate.
Similar taxa
Similar to large, leafy forms of Isolepis inundata R.Br. but differing by the distinctly more leafy habit, much longer bract subtending the inflorescence; usually (1)–2 rather than 1–(2) stamens per glume, and by the glumes lanceolate, acute and strongly keeled, rather than ovate, obtuse and less prominently keeled.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (south Wellington coastline), South Island (Westland, Fiordland, Southland), Stewart Island/Rakiura, Snares Island, Campbell Islands, Auckland Islands and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal banks, boulder falls and turf or in seepages. Sometimes on damp ground ground under coastal scrub and forest.
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.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- 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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Scirpus praetextatus Edgar
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–January
Fruiting
December–April
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.
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]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
isolepis: From the Greek isos (equal) and lepis (scale)
praetextata: Bordered with purple
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.
ISOPRA
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Data Deficient
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Johnson AT, Smith HA. 1986. Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd, Buckenhill, UK.
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
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.