Lepidosperma australe
Common names
square sedge, square-stemmed sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Flower colours
Red/Pink
Detailed description
Stout, rush-like sedge forming dense blue-green to dark green patches up to 2 m tall. Rhizomes short, lignaceous, 2–3 mm diameter, bearing distant apiculate, dark brown scales. Culms quadrangular, glabrous, densely packed, rigidly erect, coriaceous, 0.2–2.0 m tall, 1.0–2.5 mm diameter, dark blue or grey-green (glaucous). Leaves all reduced to brown, sheathing, membranous, mucronate bracts, or the upper 1–2 with laminae quadrangular, or occasionally trigonous 50–350 mm long with subulate, pungent, dark brown apices. Inflorescence a 10–40 × 5–15 mm, dense, contracted, spicate head; subtending bract usually < inflorescence with a rigid, subulate awn up to 15 mm long. Spikelets 1-flowered, 4–5 mm long, on short, stout, stiff stalks. Glumes 4–6, the lowest broadly ovate, mucronate, the upper ones ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, coriaceous, papillose with scabrid midrib and margins, midrib distinctly thickened; only the uppermost glume fertile, the rest empty. Hypogynous scales 6, 0.5 mm long, white, triangular when mature, fused at the base to form a 6-lobed persistent cup. Anthers with an elongated red connective. Nut 4 mm long, lustrous light brown, more or less trigonous, oblong-ellipsoid, smooth, narrowed above to the persistent, scabrid style-base.
Similar taxa
None. This species is easily distinguished by the culms which are usually dark blue-green and square in cross-section—hence the common names square sedge and square-stemmed sedge.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine (up to 1300 m a.s.l.), usually in open ground, seral vegetation or peat bogs. Colonising seasonally dry, or well drained substrates as well as permanently wet substrates such as peat.
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.
- 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
Synonyms
Vauthiera australis A.Rich.; Cladium vauthiera C.B.Clarke ex Cheeseman; Claudium australe (A.Rich.) Druce; Machaerina australis (A.Rich.) Koyama
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
August–December
Fruiting
October–July (often present year round)
Life cycle and dispersal
Scaly nuts are dispersed by water, wind and possibly ants (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Can be difficult to cultivate. The seed is difficult to germinate, and plants resent root disturbance and usually die if transplanted. However, considerable success has been achieved growing plants and/or germinating seed in untreated saw dust. Despite these problems this is an attractive species well worth attempting to grow. Once established it flourishes in a range of conditions from full sun in free draining soil to shade and permanently damp soils.
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
Plants are occasionally available from specialist nurseries.
Etymology
lepidosperma: Scale seed
australe: Southern, from the Latin australis
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.
LEPAUS
Previous conservation statuses
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.
- 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.
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (8 September 2006). Description adapted from Moore & 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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Lepidosperma australe Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lepidosperma-australe/ (Date website was queried)