Zotovia acicularis
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Grasses
Detailed description
Small, 3–13 cm tufted, dense but fine leaved grass with needle-like leaf tips, arising from slender rhizomes. Leaf-sheath to 8 mm, keeled, hairless, wider than blade. Ligule 0.5 mm, tapered, finely hairy. Leaf-blade 1–2.6 cm × 0.5 mm diameter, tightly inrolled, light green with cream cross-veinlets, hairless, pinched into curved, pale, needle-like tip; margins with numerous minute prickle-teeth. Culms slender, minutely hairy below inflorescence. Inflorescence 1 cm long made up of 3–6 spikelets, pedicels with dense, minute prickle-teeth. Spikelets 5–7.5 mm. Glumes 2–3.5 mm, ½ length of spikelet, lanceolate, subacute, keeled above, hairless, lower 1-nerved, upper 3-nerved. Anthers 1.1–1.5 mm. Stigmas plumose. Seeds as yet unknown.
Similar taxa
Zotovia accicularis is only likely to be confused with Z. colensoi from which it differs by its more compacted, low 2–4–(8) cm, mat-forming habit, and needle-like leaf tips.
Distribution
Endemic. Known only from Fiordland National Park, where it has been collected from Lyall Bay, (Thompson Sound), All Round Point (Secretary Island), and Lake Mike at elevations of 670-1100 m.
Habitat
Very little is known about this grass, which is only known from three locations. Herbarium specimens indicate that it grows on rocks and wet shady bluffs.
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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, RR
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
No information available
Fruiting
No information available
Propagation technique
Like the two other species of Zotovia, Z. accicularis is probably easy to grow from rooted pieces and the division of whole plants. Fresh seed should germinate easily.
Other information
Etymology
acicularis: From the Latin acicula ‘small pin’ refers to things which are needle-like, needle-shaped, stiff or pointed
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.
ZOTACI
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 – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: RR, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Data Deficient
Referencing and citations
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Zotovia acicularis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/zotovia-acicularis/ (Date website was queried)