Uncinia viridis
Common names
green bastard grass, bastard grass, hook sedge
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Sedges
Detailed description
Openly caespitose to shortly rhizomatous bright green sedge. Culms 20–250 mm long, usually < 1 mm diameter, glabrous; basal bracts dull yellow-brown to dark brown. Leaves 7–8 per culm, ≤ culms, 1.5–2 mm wide, channelled, somewhat rigid, curving downwards, coriaceous, bright green, glossy, scabrid on margins and undersides. Spikes 15–50 × 3–4 mm, sometimes bracteate, female flowers 5–15, close-set, internodes 1–2 mm. Glumes > utricles, deciduous, ovate, subacute to acuminate, pale brown-green to light brown, membranous. Utricles 4.5–5 × 1.5 mm, trigonous, ovate, green to grey-brown, rather dull, smooth aside from prominent lateral nerves, slightly pinched below a 1 mm long stipe, and tapered above to a 1.5 mm long beak.
Similar taxa
Rather similar to Carex edura K.A.Ford from which it is well marked by its bright green rather than yellow-green to brown-green foliage and culms. It also differs by its fewer flowered spikelets. Plants could be confused with Carex astricta K.A.Ford, C. horizontalis (Colenso) K.A.Ford and C. lectissima K.A.Ford but those species have longer culms (up to 400 mm in C. astricta and C. horizontalis, to 300 mm in C. lectissima cf. up tp 250 mm in U. viridis), broader dark green leaves and spikes with 10–35 flowers (5-15 in U. viridis). The utricles of C. astricta (5–7 mm) and C. horizontalis (4.5–6 mm) are longer than those of U. viridis (4.5–5 mm).
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. In the North Island found mainly in and around the Central Volcanic Plateau and the adjoining main axial mountain ranges. In the South Island more widespread from Nelson to Otago and probably Southland. Said to be common on Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Habitat
Montane to alpine in wet hollows within tussock grassland and herbfield. Never common.
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.
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
Threats
A naturally uncommon, biologically sparse species occurring in widely scattered, sometimes quite extensive populations.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Uncinia caespitosa Boott var. viridis (C.B.Clarke) Hamlin; Uncinia compacta R.Br. var. viridis C.B.Clarke
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December
Fruiting
October–June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of established plants. Prefers a damp spot in full sun. Dislikes excessive humidity and will not tolerant prolonged drought.
Other information
Etymology
uncinia: From the Latin uncus ‘hook’, meaning hooked or barbed
viridis: From the Latin viridis ‘green’
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.
UNCVIR
Chromosome number
2n = 88
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.
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Sparse
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Lehnebach CA. 2011. Re-evaluating species limits in Uncinia angustifolia, U. caespitosa s.str., U. rupestris, U. viridis and U. zotovii (Cyperaceae). Australian Systematic Botany 24(6): 405–420. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB11014.
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 Prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 August 2004). Description based on Moore & Edgar (1961), see also Lehnbach (2011) where this species is treated as a synonym of Uncinia rupestris.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Uncinia viridis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/uncinia-viridis/ (Date website was queried)