The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Carex libera

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

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 libera (Kük.) Hamlin

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CARLIB

Structural Class

Sedges

Synonyms

Carex uncifolia Cheeseman. var. libera Kük.

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, North West Nelson.

Habitat

A species found in open, damp sites such as along stream sides, in seepages and around small pools, ponds, and tarns. Known to range from lowland to subalpine habitats. Often found in montane forest and in tussock grassland.

Features

Shortly rhizomatous; somewhat openly tufted, dingy reddish green, red to red-green sedge. Culms 10-80 x 1 mm, cylindrical, glabrous; shorter culms almost hidden by brownish leaf sheaths. Leaves > culms, up to 250 x 0.5-1 mm, rather spreading but not drooping, somewhat coriaceous, concavo-convex, paler on undersides, margins finely scabrid toward apex. Inflorescence of 3-5, close-packed, sessile spikes; terminal spike male, erect, usually reddish brown to brownish; subtending bracts numerous, leaf-like, glumes (excluding awns) usually slightly less than utricles, ovate, often emarginated and cuspidate. Reddish brown with a distinctly thicker green midrib, sometimes uniformly red-brown. Utricles 2-3 x 1-1.5 mm, plano-convex, ovoid-ellipsoid, light grey-green or yellow-brown toward base, spotted with red or dark red-purple in distinct patches toward apex, nerves distinct, whitish; beak rather short (up to 0.5 mm), slightly narrowed, usually spotted red-purple, margins glabrous, crura shortly bidentate to almost truncate, scabrid; stipe minute, scarcely narrower than utricle. Stigmas 3. Nut 1 x 1 mm. dark brown, obovoid, trigonous with rounded angles.

Similar Taxa

Carex libera is closely allied to the three other reddish coloured sedges C. edgarae Hamlin, C. filamentosa Petrie and C. uncifolia Cheeseman which posses small, congested and approximate spikes. From these C. libera is closest to C. edgarae with which it shares similar concavo-convex leaves which are wider than 0.5 mm, and utricles which are scarcely beaked. From C. edgarae, C. libera can be recognized by the red-tipped rather than black-tipped utricles, and by the female glumes which are almost the same or of equal length, rather than ½ the length of the utricles. In C. libera the male glumes are usually reddish-brown and awned while those of C. edgarae are creamy brown and usually entire.

Flowering

October - January

Fruiting

October - May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown in pots and in an open, sunny but permanently damp situation. A very attractive small sedge well worth cultivating.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = c.60

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 18 Jun 2015