Lepturus repens
Biostatus
Native
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 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: SO
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Detailed description
Semi-prostrate, grey-green to rather glaucous, widely spreading perennial grass forming dense semi-erect mats up to 2 m or more in diameter, from which are produced numerous long trailing stolons. Stolons rooting at nodes; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath coriaceous, finely scabrid between ribs, rarely with a few long wispy hairs. Ligule 0.5 mm, membranous, minutely ciliate. Collar finely scabrid. Leaf-blade 20–60 × 20–60 mm, lanceolate, coriaceous, glaucous, undersides smooth but scabrid near the acute apex, upper surface and margins scabrid. Culm erect to suberect, rigid and wiry, internodes glabrous. Racemes inconspicuous, borne singly at tips of lateral branches, 35–70 × 3 mm, cylindric; rachis fragile, with numerous, fine, finely scabrid nerves. Spikelets 5–7 mm, each with a single floret embedded in the rachis and concealed by the upper glume. Glumes coriaceous, lanceolate, scabrid above, tapering to an acute apex; lower usually absent except on uppermost spikelet, upper > spikelet and exceeding the rachis cavity, 7-nerved. Lemma 3 mm, 3-nerved, firmly membranous, oblong-lanceolate, glabrous below, usually hairy in upper ½. Palea about the same size as the lemma, keel minutely ciliate, interkeel minutely pubescent. Lodicules oblong, denticulate, distally fleshy otherwise chartaceous. Anthers 1.2 mm.
Similar taxa
In New Zealand none. The unusual, bilaterally cylindrical inflorescence bearing spikelets alternately arranged on opposite sides of a thickened fragile rachis are particularly distinctive.
Distribution
Indigenous. In New Zealand known only from North Chanter, Dayrell and Napier Islands, part of the Herald Islets which form the northern-most island chain of the Kermadec Islands group. Abundant on islands and adjacent landmasses throughout the warmer parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Habitat
In New Zealand this species is known only from the Herald Islets where it grows on coral makatea and basalt rock often in association with petrel nesting sites. One population grows within metres of the high tide mark/splash zone on basalt rock, the rest along the summit ridges of two small islands.
Threats
Naturally uncommon being confined in the New Zealand Botanical region to three small islands with a total population area of probably < 5 square metres. New Zealand plants have yet to be observed producing seed. This grass reaches its world southern limit in the Kermadec Island group and it would seem that even there the habitat for it is fairly marginal.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Lepturus cinereus Burcham; Lepturus repens var. cinereus (Burcham) Fosberg
Taxonomic notes
Lepturus repens is extremely variable and NZPCN consider the distinctions offered for var. cinereus (as used by Edgar & Connor 2000) dubious. Plants of Kermadec islands origin in cultivation initially have a widely creeping growth habit but soon also develop an erect growth habit. In the Pacific a wide range of forms can be found in a single site. Therefore we follow de Lange & Rolfe (2010) in treating the Kermadec Islands plants as Lepturus repens s.s. Further research into this variation is required.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Throughout the year
Fruiting
Throughout the year
Life cycle and dispersal
Florets are dispersed by wind and possibly water (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easy from rooted pieces and fresh seed. However, extremely cold sensitive. Best in a free draining medium. Should be planted in a sunny, warm, and sheltered spot or kept in a pot. An ideal sand binding grass for bach lawns in the far north of New Zealand.
Other information
Etymology
repens: From Latin repere meaning to creep, means creeping
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
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.
LEPREP
Chromosome number
2n = 52-54
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 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: SO
2009 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant | Qualifiers: SO, OL
2004 | Non-resident Native – Vagrant
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange PJ, Rolfe JR. 2010. New Zealand Indigenous Vascular Plant Checklist. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, Wellington, NZ. 164 p.
Edgar E, Connor HE. 2000. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Manaaki Whenua Press, Christchurch, NZ. 650 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 July 2005 and updated 26 June 2011. Description adapted from Edgar & Connor (2000) by P.J. de Lange July 2005.
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): Lepturus repens Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lepturus-repens/ (Date website was queried)