The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Schoenus maschalinus

Etymology

Schoenus: rush
maschalinus: with flowers in the leaf axils

Common Name(s)

dwarf bog rush

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

Schoenus maschalinus Roem. et Schult.

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

SCHMAS

Structural Class

Sedges

Synonyms

Chaetospora axillaris R.Br.; Schoenus axillaris (R.Br.) Poir.; Scirpus foliatus Hook.f.; Schoenus subaxillaris Kük.; Schoenus foliatus (Hook.f.) Blake; Schoenus foliatus (Hook.f.) Kük.

Distribution

Indigenous. North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. Also in Australia, New Guinea as far north as the Philippines.

Habitat

Coastal to alpine (up to 1400 m a.s.l.). In damp, poorly drained soils in a wide range of habitats from dense forest to river margins, lake sides to alpine seepages and turfs.

Features

Small, flaccid, tufted or widely spreading green and leafy sedge. Culms 0.3-1.0 m long, 0.5 mm diameter, bright green, usually trailing and rooting at nodes, branched toward apices. Leaves numerous, 10.0-35.0 x 0.5-1.0 mm, almost flat, alternate, spreading, obtuse, margins usually finely toothed towards leaf apex; sheath enclosing 1/3 of internode, membranous, often red-purple. Spikelets 1-3 in the axils of leaves, 2-3 mm long, 1-2-flowered, light brown or reddish purple, sessile or on short, scabrid stalks. Glumes 5, ovate-lanceolate, more or less obtuse, 2 lowest smaller, empty, membranous, mucronate 1-2 upper glumes fertile, margins hyaline, median nerve pale green. Hypogynous bristles mostly 6, white or yellow-brown, thread-like, slightly greater than or occasionally less than nut, persistent. Stamens 3. Style branches 3. Nut 1 x c.1 mm, white, elliptic-ovoid, angles green and thickened, apex acute, occasionally with a small trigonous, persistent, style-base.

Similar Taxa

Schoenus fluitans is very closely related to S. maschalinus Roem. et Schult., and terrestrial plants of S. fluitans or those left stranded by receding waters in particular have some resemblance to it. From S. fluitans, S. maschalinus is distinguished by its much smaller, more widely creeping plant (up to 1 m diameter) and wide range of habitat preferences. Schoenus maschalinus is invariably bright green (never red), is much a more slender, wispy plant, has 6 rather than no hypogynous bristles, and white rather than a black or brown mottled black nut. Both species share the same chromosome number (2n = 10), and nrDNA ITS sequences place them as sister species.

Flowering

Throughout the year

Fruiting

Throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed, rooted pieces and by the division of whole plants. An attractive ground cover for a damp site. Will grow in full sun or heavy shade. Once established can tolerate mowing

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 10

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 14 Aug 2014