Schoenus nitens
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Rhizomatous, tufted rush-like sedge. Rhizomes lignaceous, up to 1.5 mm diameter, loosely covered by large, membranous, overlapping scales. Culms 10–400 mm long, slightly greater than 0.5 mm diameter, dark green, red-green to greenish brown, wiry, erect, striated, unbranched, densely tufted or widely spaced along rhizome. Leaves less than culms, upper leaves alternate, rigidly setaceous, semi-terete, margins rarely scabrid towards leaf apex; basal leaves reduced to red-purple, grooved, mucronate sheaths. Inflorescence terminal, capitate with crowded sessile spikelets, subtending bract greater than inflorescence. Spikelets (2)–4–many, 2–5 mm long, 2–3-flowered. Glumes 5–7, bright chestnut-brown with green median nerve, 2–3 lowest smaller, empty. Hypogynous bristles 6, usually > nut, yellow-brown and scabrid towards the apex, often branched and basally plumose with long white hairs. Stamens 3. Style branches 3. Nut ovoid to elliptical-oblong, 1.5 mm long, light grey-brown to red-brown, smooth, glossy, surface cells minute (appearing as dimples), angles scarcely thickened.
Similar taxa
Schoenus concinnus (Hook.f.) Hook.f. is somewhat similar but differs by its finer culms, more densely tufted growth habit, smaller stature, often solitary spikelets (there may occasionally be three spikelets), subacute rather than obtuse glumes, and yellow-brown rather than grey-brown to red-brown, larger nut (1.5–2.0 mm cf. 1.5 mm long). Schoenus nitens differs from the other rush-like species by having well developed leaves.
Distribution
Indigenous. North, South and Chatham Islands. Also in Australia and New Guinea. In New Zealand abundant from about Whatipu south to Wellington - with scattered populations in the far north (Reef Point, Te Aupouri, and Te Paki). Scarce in the South Island. Abundant on the main Chatham Island.
Habitat
Coastal. A species of damp ground within sand flats, dune swales, and the margins of tidal creeks, brackish swamps, lagoons and ponds.
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 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Cyperaceae
Synonyms
Chaetospora nitens R.Br.; Scirpus nitens (R.Br.) Boeck., Schoenus nitens (R.Br.) Roem. et Schult. var. nitens
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–February
Fruiting
December–July
Propagation technique
Easily grown from the division of established plants and from fresh seed. Prefers a damp, well drained soil in full sun.
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]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
schoenus: Rush
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.
SCHNTE
Chromosome number
2n = 74
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | 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.
Attribution
Description adapted from Moore and 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.