Rytidosperma buchananii
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Similar taxa
The combination of short lemma lobes relative to the lemma, the very long palea which almost reaches the tip of the lemma lobes and is c. = the length of the upper lemma hairs, and the sparse rows of hairs (hairs on the callus can be thick, and the callus, lower and upper lemma hairs all overlap) distinguish this species from all other species of Rytidosperma. In the field its robust dark coloured spikes are most similar to R. thomsonii, but in that species the awn is very short hardly protrudes past the glumes (among other differences).
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (mainly in the central and southern mountains, but also present on the southern side of Kawhia Harbour and the adjacent Awaroa Valley; coastal in eastern Wairarapa), South Island (throughout the mountains).
Habitat
Usually in rocky places or on open alluvial gravels.
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DPR, DPT
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Danthonia buchananii Hook.f., Notodanthonia buchananii (Hook.f.) Zotov, Danthonia semiannularis var. breviseta Hook.f.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
rytidosperma: Wrinkled seed
buchananii: Named after John Buchanan (13 October 1819-1898) who was a New Zealand botanist and scientific artist and fellow of the Linnean Society.
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.
RYTBUC
Chromosome number
2n= 24
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP
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 | At Risk – Regionally Declining | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NStr, PF, Sp, TL