Lachnagrostis uda
Common name
Swamp 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.
LACUDA
Chromosome number
2n = 98
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Data Deficient
Distribution
Endemic to the South island. Known from scattered sites from south-western Canterbury, through central and western Otago. Probably more widespread than this as easily overlooked.
Habitat
An alpine to subalpine species of sedge-dominated wetlands.
Features
Perennial grass forming loose tufts 9-35 cm. Branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath faintly ribbed, hairless, light green to dull brown. Ligule 1-2.5 mm, truncate or toothed, sparsely and finely scabrid (with teeth). Leaf-blade 3-10(-15) cm × 1-2 mm, flat or folded, smooth, undersides with sparse teeth on ribs, leaf margins sparsely scabrid, leaf tip obtuse. Culm 4-20 cm, often included within uppermost leaf-sheath, internodes finely scabrid below panicle. Panicle 3-14 × 1.5-8 cm, contracted at first, at maturity an open lax inflorescence. Spikelets (2.5-)3-3.5(-4) mm, pale green or tinged faint purple, Glumes equal, elliptic-lanceolate, midnerve and margins scabrid in upper quarter. Lemma 2-2.5 mm, three quarters length of glumes, with scattered soft hairs, rarely hairless, lateral nerves not evident, awn absent or if present straight, up to 2.5 mm. anthers 0.7-1.3 mm. Callus hairs copious and conspicuous, covering between one half and two thirds of the lemma. Seed 1.2-1.8 × 0.5-0.6 mm.
Similar taxa
Allied to L. striata and L. lyallii. Differs from L. striata by the longer anthers (0.7-1.3 mm cf. 0.2-0.5 in L. striata). Differs from L. lyallii by the much shorter ( to 2.5 mm cf.2-6 mm), straight (rather than bent) awns. From both species, and all Lachnagrostis species (except L. glabra) it can be distinguished by the sparsely hairy lemma. It differs from L. glabra by the conspicuous callus hairs subtending the palea, and by the palea one half to two thirds the length of the lemma.
Flowering
No information available
Fruiting
No information available
Propagation technique
Easily grown by division and provided it is keep damp will grow readily. Dislikes warm, humid climates, and will not flower in these conditions. Easy from fresh seed.
Threats
Described in 1995. Lachnagrostis uda is probably not threatened but there are very few recent (>1980) collections.
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.