Species

Carex drucei

Etymology

Carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.
drucei: after A.P. Druce, one of New Zealand's most respected field botanists

Common Name(s)

Druces Bastard Grass, Druces Hook Sedge

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Carex drucei (Hamlin) K.A.Ford

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

UNCDRU

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.

Structural Class

Sedges

Synonyms

Uncinia drucei Hamlin; Uncinia drucei var. pauciflora Hamlin

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand, North, South and Stewart Islands from Mt Hikurangi and Mt Taranaki south.

Habitat

Alpine. In cushion bog, fellfield, snow banks, seepages and herbfield

Features

Stoloniferous, widely spreading, pale green to reddish-green plants. Stolons c.0.5 mm diameter. Culms 50.0-200.0 × 0.3-1.0 mm, glabrous; basal bracts light brown or straw-coloured. Leaves 5-6(-8) per culm, < culms, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, bright green, soft, the abaxial surface with 3-5 very pale green, raised veins, margins scabrid and tapering towards the narrow, triangular apex. Spikes 05-20 × 3–4 mm, up to 10 mm diam. at maturity, oblong, female flowers 7–18, densely crowded, internodes 0.5-1.5 mm long. Glumes = or > utricles, deciduous, subacute, membranous, pale brown with broad green midrib. Utricles 4–5 × c.1 mm, trigonous, elliptic-lanceolate, dark brown, shining, smooth except for a prominent lateral nerve, widely spreading when ripe, slightly contracted below to a stipe c.1 mm long and above to a beak c.1.5 mm long

Similar Taxa

Close to Carex edura K.A.Ford, which is a very variable species. From Carex edura, C. drucei differs by its widely spreading, stoloniferous rather than tufted or shortly rhizomatous growth habit, usually more numerous, much narrower, grass-like, soft rather than harshly scabrid leaves, and by the shorter, oblong rather than broadly pyramidal spikes with smaller dark-brown rather than green-brown to dark brown glossy utricles

Flowering

October - January

Fruiting

December - April

Propagation Technique

Unknown. Probably easily cultivated in an alpine house of rock garden, grown from fresh seed and by division of established plants.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 88

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not Commercially Available

 

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 30 August 2006: Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970).

References and further reading

Moore, L.B.; Edgar, E. 1970: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. II. Government Printer, Wellington.

This page last updated on 26 Aug 2015