Species

Carex cheesemaniana

Etymology

Carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.

Common Name(s)

Hook Sedge, Bastard Grass

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 cheesemaniana (Boeckeler) K.A.Ford

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

UNCNER

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 compacta R.Br. var. nervosa (Boott) C.B.Clarke; Uncinia cheesemanniana Boeck; Uncinia nervosa Boott

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: South Island. Also Tasmania

Habitat

A local to locally common species of wet ground and bogs in montane forest or in subalpine to alpine snow-tussock (Chionochloa) grassland.

Features

Bright to dark green, lax or densely caespitose plants. Culms 100-300 mm long, usually slightly < but occasionally > 0.5 mm diameter, glabrous; basal bracts dull grey-brown. Leaves 4-6 per culm, slightly < flowering culms, much < mature culms, c.0.5 mm wide, plano-convex or concavo-convex, rigid, linear, scarcely narrowed to the obtuse tip, margins scabrid. Spikes 15-30 × 2-6 mm, oblong, female flowers 2-12, ± close-set, internodes 1.5-4.0 mm long. Glumes < or > utricles, deciduous, lanceolate, subacute, sides membranous, midrib green. Utricles 4-6 × c.1 mm, trigonous, elliptic-lanceolate, greenish brown to dark brown, lateral nerves prominent, shining, very slightly contracted to a broad stipe c.1 mm long, beak 1.0–1.5 mm long

Flowering

November - January

Fruiting

December - March

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and the division of whole plants. Prefers cool, damp ground but once established will tolerate drought. Excellent in semi-shade.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 88

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Taxonomic Notes

The epithet 'cheesemanniana' (Global Carex Group 2015) based on Uncinia cheesemanniana Boeckeler is an orthographic error here corrected to 'cheesemaniana' (see Art. 60, International Code of Nomenclautre, Melbourne Code, 2011) - http://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/main.php?page=art60

 

 

 

Attribution

Description adapted from Moore and Edgar (1970). Fact sheet prepared by Peter J. de Lange 17 August 2006.

References and further reading

Global Carex Group 2015: Making Carex monophyletic (Cyperaceae, tribe Cariceae): a new broader circumscription. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 179: 1-42

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

This page last updated on 3 Feb 2017