Luzula celata
Common names
dwarf woodrush
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Rushes & Allied Plants
Flower colours
Brown, White
Detailed description
An inconspicuous, creeping woodrush, forming grey-green to brownish cushion-like tufts, usually less than 4cm diameter. Sometime half buried in sand, so that only leaf tips and flowers are visible. Leaves 1-3cm long, 0.5-1mm wide, folded inwards towards base, tips pointed; margins clad in long, thickly clustered, soft white hairs. Flowering stems much shorter than leaves, scarcely elongating as fruit matures. Flowers 2mm long, 6-16 in a single cluster, with minimal stalk.
Similar taxa
Luzula ulophylla. Luzula celata has hairy leaf margins and flower hidden amongst leaves. Luzula ulophylla has woolly hairs on back of leaves as well as margins, and flowering stems much taller than its leaves.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura. In the South Island found east of the main divide from Marlborough to Southland.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Usually in shingly ground, sandy hollows, river terraces, tarn margins, often found growing within Raoulia mats.
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 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, RR
Threats
The main threat throughout this species range is loss of habitat, caused by land development, weed invasion and general habitat degradation, especially erosion. Overstocking of paddocks containing this species has been a problem in some locations.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Juncaceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
December–April (but seedheads long persistent)
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and division of whole plants.
Other information
Etymology
luzula: Latinized form of the Italian vernacular name (lucciola) for this plant
celata: Hidden
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.
LUZCEL
Chromosome number
2n = 12
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP, RR
2012 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Declining
2004 | Serious Decline
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.
Attribution
Fact Sheet by P.J. de Lange (1 September 2003). Description based on 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): Luzula celata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/luzula-celata/ (Date website was queried)