Schoenus pauciflorus
Common names
bog rush, sedge tussock
Synonyms
Chaetospora pauciflora Hook.f.
Family
Cyperaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Sedges
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.
SCHPAU
Chromosome number
2n= 28, 56
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands and Auckland Islands. Uncommon north of Rotorua.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine (up to 1800 m a.s.l.). However, mostly montane to alpine in northern two-thirds of its range. Common in damp seepages along cliff faces, in swamps, in seepages within forest, within mires and around lake tarn and stream sides. Sometimes colonises poorly drained pasture.
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).
Detailed description
Rush-like sedge up to 1 m tall. Rather variable with respect to colour and stature, ranging from stout dark red plants to flaccid bright green specimens. Rhizome short, hard and lignaceous, up to 4 mm diameter. Culms 0.1–1.0 m tall, 0.5–1.8 mm diameter, densely tufted, caespitose, longitudinally striate, grey-green, wine red to bright green. Leaves reduced to numerous, dark red-purple (rarely green) basal sheaths, the uppermost 40–140 mm long, the mucro much elongated with toothed margins. Panicle 15–30 mm long, more or less elongated, bearing 1–9 spikelets at the tips of erect, slightly scabrid branchlets, the whole subtended by a stiff bract overtopping the panicle. Spikelets 5 mm long, 2–4-flowered, lanceolate. Glumes 4–6, lanceolate, 2–3 lowermost smaller, empty, membranous and colourless or occasionally brown, upper glumes darker brown with pale centres, margins hyaline, without cilia. Hypogynous bristles 6, filiform, almost equal in length to style, scabrid, persistent. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3, style often persistent. Nut 2.0–2.5 mm long, slightly less than 1 mm wide, elliptic-oblong, greenish brown to red-brown, lighter brown at the angles, glossy, smooth.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from the other rush-like Schoenus species by the more or less compact panicle which is subtended by a very long bract which consistently overtops the panicle, and also by the brown rather white or pale cream nuts.
Flowering
September–April
Fruiting
November–June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from rooted pieces and the division of whole plants. Can be grown from fresh seed but seed is often slow to germinate. Rather variable and as a horticultural subject it would require some selection of the diversity of forms present in the wild.
Etymology
schoenus: Rush
pauciflorus: Few flowers
Notes on taxonomy
There is good cytological and molecular evidence that S. pauciflorus comprises at least two species.
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.
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.