The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Schoenus caespitans

Etymology

Schoenus: rush

Common Name(s)

none known

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, SO, Sp

Authority

Schoenus caespitans Petrie

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Sedges

Synonyms

Schoenus apogon var. caespitans (Petrie) Edgar

Distribution

Endemic. North and South Islands, from the north-western Ruahines south and east to Cape Palliser, on DUrville Island and eastern Marlborough to the Hunter Hills, South Canterbury.

Habitat

Coastal to subalpine (up to 1100 m a.s.l.). In open ground, and under sparse scrub where it is usually found on damp clay but also in seasonally dry, poorly drained soils, and on ultramafic substrates (and then found around seepages and tarns). Often in short-tussock or silver tussock (Poa cita Edgar) grassland.

Features

Densely tufted, caespitose sedge. Culms numerous, 15-60(-200) mm long, less than or equal to 0.5 mm diameter, densely packed at base, otherwise rather flaccid, unbranched, glabrous, occasionally finely scabrid just below inflorescence. Leaves 20-600(-800) mm long, usually equal to or greater than the culm length; yellow green to dull green, linear to very narrow-linear, acute, channelled, margins slightly scabrid; sheaths membranous, reddish to red-purple. Panicle of 2-3 mostly densely clustered (rarely distant) fascicles, the terminal usually with sessile to subsessile, densely clustered spikelets, the lower fascicles, shortly stalked, bearing densely to loosely clustered spikelets; bract subtending each fascicle leaf-like, lowest bract overtopping whole inflorescence. Spikelets 3-5 mm long, 1(-2)-flowered, if 2-flowered with second flower male. Glumes dark red-brown, dull to somewhat glossy, with a prominent cream centre; midrib slightly scabrid; lower 1-3 glumes usually empty, often mucronate. Hypogynous bristles 6, > nut. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3. Nut slightly less than 1.0 x 0.5 mm, white with the 3 angles green or yellow, elliptic-oblong, almost globose, obtuse, apiculate, surface when viewed with a lens, minutely cellular, individual cells rather small.

Similar Taxa

Schoenus apogon is very similar (and in some treatments S. caespitans is regarded as a variety of it). From S. apogon. S. caespitans differs by its mostly smaller more densely tufted growth habit, culms up to 200 mm long, and less than or equal to 0.5 mm wide; by the leaves longer than or at least equal in length to the culms, 1(-2)-flowered spikelets that are 3-5 mm long (in S. apogon the spikelets are 2-4-flowered and 4-6 mm long) and by the red-brown glumes which have a prominent cream centre, rather than mostly red to red-purple or almost black, rarely with a pale cream patch near the midrib. The surface of the nuts of S. caespitans has much smaller, minute cells than S. apogon.

Flowering

August - April

Fruiting

September - June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from rooted pieces and fresh seed. An excellent pot plant. Quite tolerant of dry conditions as well as wet. Requires full sun.

Threats

Not Threatened but not very common either. Possibly qualifies as a Sparse species

Chromosome No.

2n = 8

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 14 Aug 2014