Isolepis reticularis
Synonyms
Scirpus reticularis (Colenso) Edgar; Scirpus inundatus var. gracillimus Cheeseman; Isolepis inundatus var. gracillima (Cheeseman) W.R.B.Oliv.
Family
Cyperaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
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.
ISORET
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
Endemic
Habitat
Coastal to montane (rarely subalpine). Favouring riparian habitats in lowland forest but also colonising coastal seepages, or seepages within forest, lake and pond margins and occasionally the lagg zone of peat bogs. A common inhabitant of willow carr.
Features
Rather delicate, finely tufted, drooping plants, loosely carpeting the ground with lax, filiform, light green culms. Culms 40–300 mm long, < 0.5 mm diameter, smooth, compressed. Leaves 1–3, similar to culms but usually much shorter, lower most leaf reduced to a sheath 10–15 mm long, red towards the base, often with a fine green mucro c.0.3–0.5 mm. long. Inflorescence apparently lateral, of 1-3(-5) spikelets, often proliferous; bract subtending inflorescence usually much > spikelets, often filiform. Spikelets 2.0–5.0(-7.0) × 1.0–1.5(-1.7) mm, oblong-ovate, usually pale green tinged with red. Glumes 1 to slightly < 2 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, pale straw-coloured, rather transparent, or sprinkled with dark red dots, or red-striped or almost black, margins entire, pinched in at the tip below the green, slightly excurrent keel, lateral nerves conspicuous. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 1. Style-branches 3. Nut c.1.0 × 0.5 mm., from 2/3 length of glume to c. = glume, elliptical or obovoid, trigonous, pale straw-coloured, almost white, glossy, markedly apiculate, tip not dark.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the flaccid growth habit, extremely fine (< 0.5 mm diameter) bright green culms, greenish spikelets, stamens 1-2 per glume (rarely 3 in the lower portion of spikelet), acute glumes 1-2 mm long, with the tip constricted beside the keel, and cream or white nut. The spikelets in this species are often proliferous.
Flowering
September - December
Fruiting
October - March
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 whole plants. Once established rather tolerant of a range of conditions but flourishes best in full sun in a permanently damp soil. An attractive pot plant but can become invasive in some situations.
Etymology
isolepis: From the Greek isos (equal) and lepis (scale)
reticularis: In a net-like pattern
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