Lachnagrostis elata
Common name
wind grass
Synonyms
None
Family
Poaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Grasses
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.
LACELA
Chromosome number
2n = 98
Current conservation status
The threat classification 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) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website 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. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. In the North Island from Opuatia (Huntly Basin) south to at least Taihape. South Island apparently confined to North West Nelson. Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Lowland forest to subalpine seepages and mires. Usually in tussock grassland or within open, wet depressions in montane forest. When in forest often protruding through divaricating shrubs and sedges. Occasionally forming dense patches on the margins of ephemeral ponds and lagoons.
Features
Grey-green to grass green, slender, tufted perennial grass producing 1-many, somewhat laxly erect to flaccid, semi-scandent culms and lax panicles bearing few branches tipped by few spikelets. Branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath membranous, with few, distinct ribs, very sparsely, finely scabrid throughout or only above. Ligule 1.2-8.0 mm long, truncate and erose in lower leaves, tapering in upper leaves, undersides scabrid. Leaf-blade 30-250 x 0.4-2.5 mm, flat, or folded and more or less involute, narrow-linear, undersides almost smooth near base to closely scabrid near acute apex, upper surface ribbed and scabrid on ribs, margins scabrid. Culm 60-800 mm long, weakly erect to flaccid and hanging in surrounding vegetation, more or less geniculate at base, internodes minutely retrorsely scabrid above. Panicle 40-300 x 30-300 mm long, very lax at maturity, usually wider than long, primary branches naked, capillary, finely scabrid, maturing horizontal or reflexed, secondary branches shorter, each tipped by a single spikelet. Spikelets 3-8 mm, light green to purplish. Glumes more or less equal, elliptic-lanceolate, scabrid above on keel and hyaline margin, apex acute or acuminate. Lemma 2.5-3.8 mm, 3/4 length of glumes, 5-nerved, elliptic-oblong, truncate, denticulate, lateral nerves usually shortly excurrent, margins and nerves finely scabrid near apex, rarely awn absent. Palea 1/2 length of lemma or shorter, keels more or less distinct, 0.2 mm apart, apex shallowly bifid. Callus hairs to 1 mm long, to 1/3 length of lemma. Rachilla prolongation 0.1-0.8 mm, bearing a tuft of hairs to 1 mm long; sometimes absent. Lodicules 0.6-0.9 mm, linear, acute. Anthers 0.6-1.2 mm. Seed 1.5-1.8 x 0.5-0.7 mm.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the semi-scandent, flaccid etiolated culms and large, widely spreading, lax panicles bearing few branches, each tipped by 1(-2) spikeletes. Closest to L. ammobia Edgar which is a coastal species of sand dunes and beaches, and differs by its smaller size (up to 350 mm tall), and very hairy rather than glabrous or sparsely hairy lemma.
Flowering
September - January
Fruiting
November - May
Propagation technique
Easy from fresh seed and rooted pieces. Tends to be short-lived, and cultivated plants are rather lanky, and so flop over.
Etymology
lachnagrostis: From “lachne” (wool) referring to the distinctive callus hairs of this genus and “agrostis” by which Trinius (1820) actually meant “a grass” (not an Agrostis). So the generic name means “a hairy (woolly) grass” not “a hairy (woolly) Agrostis” as is often incorrectly stated (see Gardner 2014).
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Description modified from Edgar and Connor (2000)
References and further reading
Edgar, E.; Connor, H.E. 2000: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Christchurch, Manaaki Whenua Press. 650 pp.