Spinifex sericeus
Common names
spinifex, kōwhangatara
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Stoloniferous, often forming colonies stretching to 80–(160) m along sand dunes, with much-branched, knotted, rope-like, hard, creeping culms. Leaf-sheath leathery, strongly-nerved, silky-hairy. Ligule minute, ciliate, hairs very dense to 6 mm. Leaf-blade c. 300 mm, inrolled and c. 1.5 mm diameter, leathery, strongly nerved, silky-villous. Culm 2.5-6.0 mm diameter, internodes glabrous, silky-villous below inflorescence. Dioecious*: male inflorescence with numerous pedunculate racemes, 0–120 mm, bearing up to 15 silky-villous spikelets, each terminated by a short bristle c. 10 mm; raceme clusters subtended by spathaceous bracts ≤ raceme. Male spikelets 100 mm; glumes ≤ spikelet, 7–9-nerved; lemmas similar to glumes but less villous, 5-nerved; each floret with 2 emarginate lodicules 0.6 × 0.3 mm, and 3 pollen-filled anthers to 6 mm. Female inflorescence very conspicuous, globular, appearing spiny with strict bracts to 150 mm, disarticulating from culm at maturity and wheeling along sand; spikelets solitary, hidden at base of bract, 15–18 mm; glumes equal to spikelet, 5–7-nerved, silky-villous; lemmas shorter, less villous, rather chartaceous, 3–5-nerved; lower floret sterile; upper floret female, larger, with 2 lodicules c. 1 × 1 mm, and 3 stamens with stout filaments bearing white, pollen-less anthers up to 1.5 mm; ovary 1.5–2.0 mm, stigma-styles 17–20 mm; seed free, c. 4.5–5.0 × 2.5 mm.
* but stems with both male and female flowers are known
Similar taxa
None—the distinctive softly spiny female seed heads, which disarticulate and are usually seen rolling down the beach readily identify this species.
Distribution
Indigenous. Common throughout New Zealand. Also present in Australia
Habitat
Strictly coastal where it is confined to sandy beaches. This is the main dune forming indigenous plant in New Zealand. It is usually found at the front of actively accumulating foredunes. Its does not tolerate stable dune systems and does not compete well with other introduced dune plants.
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
Poaceae
Synonyms
New Zealand plants have long been referred to Spinifex hirsutus Labill. a species that is now considered quite unrelated and confined to Western Australia
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
September–December
Fruiting
November–May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed (which is best). Can be grown from layered pieces but often slow to start and fickle. Does best when planted directly into sand dunes—not a good plant for the average garden.
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]
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Cultivation
Sold by a number of specialist native plant nurseries, such as Coastlands Nursery. Popular plant for dune restoration.
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.
SPISER
Chromosome number
2n = 18
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Edgar E, Connor HE. 2000. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Manaaki Whenua Press, Christchurch, NZ. 650 p.
Gardner R. 1999. Spinifex sericeus in Auckland. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 54: 36.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (June 2005). Description adapted from Edgar and Connor (2000).
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.