Isolepis subtilissima
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Small, fine-leaved tufts, from a much-branched, creeping rhizome up to 0.5 mm diameter. Culms filiform, 10–50–(90) × 0.2–0.3 mm. Leaves 1–4, < or often > culms, c. 0.5 mm wide, setaceous, channelled. Inflorescence apparently lateral, usually a solitary spikelet, occasionally 2, subtending bract much > inflorescence, up to 30 mm long. Spikelets 1.0–2.5 × 1.0–1.5 mm, ovate, pale green. Glumes only slightly > 1 mm long, ovate or elliptical, ± acute, pale cream and membranous, or marked with red, keel green, prominent, occasionally slightly excurrent, margins hyaline. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 1, occasionally 2–3 in lowermost glumes of spikelet. Style-branches 3. Nut < 1 mm. long, c. 0.5 mm wide, almost = glume, trigonous and prominently ribbed on dorsal angle, mucronate, pale straw-coloured.
Similar taxa
Close to Isolepis habra (Edgar) Soják from which it is distinguished by its smaller stature (stems up to 60 mm long), upright tufted habit, usually very dark green culms, and nut which is > 1 mm long.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island, South Island: Present also in the Philippines, New Guinea and Australia.
Habitat
Mostly montane or subalpine in cloud forest, or around tarns and in within bogs. Extending down rivers into lowland areas especially within the southern part of its range.
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 | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Scirpus subtilissimus (Boeck.) S.T.Blake
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
November–April
Life cycle
Nuts are dispersed by water and possibly granivory and attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed, rooted pieces and by the division of whole plants. However, requires cool conditions and dislikes humidity and drought.
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]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
isolepis: From the Greek isos (equal) and lepis (scale)
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.
ISOSUB
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DP, SO
2012 | Not Threatened
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.