The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Carex wakatipu

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 wakatipu Petrie

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CARWAK

Structural Class

Sedges

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island except apparently Fiordland. Scarce in Westland.

Habitat

Mostly upper montane to alpine (450-1800 m a.s.l.). The most commonly encountered, large carex sedge found in snow-tussock (Chionochloa) grassland, though it can at times be abundant in short-tussock grassland. It has occasionally been collected from quite low altitudes (< 450 m a.s.l.) on lake margins.

Features

Shortly rhizomatous; very variable in size, tufts dark green, reddish green or yellow-green. Culms 40-500 × c.1 mm, subtrigonous, glabrous or occasionally faintly scabrid below inflorescence, sunk among the leaves or sometimes elongating far beyond the leaves and drooping; basal sheaths dark brown or red-purple, nerves ± distinct. Leaves 2-4 mm. wide, ± erect or spreading, channelled, margins scarcely scabrid at base with well-spaced teeth towards tip. Spikes 4(-6), closely packed, at about the same level on the culm; terminal spike male, much more slender than and usually > female spikes; female spikes male at the base and occasionally at the top, 10-20 × c.5 mm, shortly pedunculate. Glumes slightly < utricles, broadly ovate, usually emarginate, sometimes almost entire, occasionally red-brown, usually very light brown flecked with darker brown striae, membranous, midrib very broad, very pale brown, produced to a short scabrid awn. Utricles 2.5-3/0 × c.2.0 mm, plano-convex or unequally biconvex, broadly elliptic-ovoid, pale brown flecked with red-brown striae below, or darker brown throughout, occasionally almost black, turgid, nerved, margins usually glabrous; beak c.0.3 mm long with a broad, ciliate, shortly bifid orifice; stipe c.0.2 mm long. Stigmas 2. Nut slightly > 1.5 mm long, biconvex, almost orbicular

Similar Taxa

Vegetatively Carex wakatipu is extremely variable. It is chiefly recognised by a combination of having dark green, yellow-green or reddish green channelled leaves which are distinctly keeled on the lower surface; a closely packed (congested) inflorescence with female spikes 10-20 × c.5 mm; and very broad glumes and utricles. The utricles are distinctly turgid. Nevertheless these characters encompass a wide range of variation with respect to growth habit, and whether or not the culms elongate at maturity of remain hidden within the leaves. Much of this variation appears genetic, and distinct races (some of which are sympatric) exist which could be segregated from this species.

Flowering

October - December

Fruiting

November - April

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from the division of whole plants and from fresh seed. Best suited for a well drained, sunny site but permanently damp situation. This species dislikes humidity.

Threats

Not Threatened

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