Two New Endemic Carices Recognised From the South Island
Kerry Ford of Landcare Research has just published two new species of carex endemic to North-West Nelson. Carex calcis K.A.Ford and C. cremnicola K.A.Ford are two species long known to New Zealand botanists as Carex “Matiri” and C. “Takaka”. In her paper titled “Carex (Cyperaceae) - two new species from the calcareous mountains of North-West Nelson, New Zealand” (New Zealand Journal of Botany 45: 721-730), Kerry provides an extremely thorough account of the two new species. The paper is accompanied by an excellent series of detailed illustrations prepared by New Zealand botanical artist extraordinarie Tim Galloway. Both species are considered “Range Restricted” following the last valid listing of the New Zealand Threatened Vascular Plant List (2004). However, during November 2007 the New Zealand Threatened Vascular Plant panel using the new iteration of the New Zealand Threat Classification System rated both taxa as “Naturally Uncommon” qualified “Sparse” and “Range Restricted”. Full fact sheets for both species (along with all indigenous New Zealand carices) are provided, and because NZPCN has yet to switch over to the new threat classification system, both species are given an interim ranking of “Sparse”.Posted: 29/12/2007