Species
Tetraria capillaris
Etymology
capillaris: From the Latin capillus 'hair' or 'thread', meaning hair-like or thread-like
Common Name(s)
Tetraria
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
Tetraria capillaris (F.Muell.) J.M.Black
Family
Cyperaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
TETCAP
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
Chaetospora capillacea Hook.f.; Chaetospora capillaris F.Muell.; Cladium capillaceum (Hook.f.)C.B.Clarke; Machaerina capillacea (Hook.f.) Koyama
Distribution
Indigenous. Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand present in the North Island from Te Paki south to about Taranaki and Hawkes Bay, and in the South Island recorded from the Nelson area and Westland.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Usually in seral vegetation within swamps, peat bogs, pakihi, gumland scrub, on sand podzols, in dune slacks or in open ground within regenerating kauri (Agathis australis) forest. Sometimes found fringing burn pools in peat bogs.
Features
Tufted, tussock forming, rather gracile perennial herb. Rhizome short and lignaceous, up to 1 mm diameter, covered within membranous, red or pale brown, imbricate bracts. Culms 0.15-1.20 m tall, 0.5 mm diameter, glossy bright green to yellow-green, rather slender, wiry. Basal leaves reduced to red, mucronate, sheathing bracts; the uppermost up to 150 mm long, with a very slender mucro-like lamina, up to 5 mm long. Panicle 15-30 mm long, composed of 2-8 usually stalked spikelets; subtending bracts with a long lamina > spikelets. Spikelets c.5 mm long, narrow, dark brown or reddish, (1-)2-flowered. Glumes distichous, lanceolate, acuminate, with white membranous margins, the upper 1-2 pubescent towards the apex, the others glabrous, the lower 3-4 and the upper 1-2 empty. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3. Nut 1.5 x 1-1.2 mm, ellipsoid or oblong-ovoid, light brown with 3 white ribs, surface smooth, crowned by a pubescent, persistent style-base,as long as the nut but much narrower throughout.
Similar Taxa
Most likely to be confused with Schoenus carsei Cheeseman from which it is best distinguished by the absence of hypogynous bristles (usualy 3 rarely absent in S. carsei), and smaller (1.5 x 1.2 mm cf. 2 x 1 mm) light brown nut bearing three prominent white ribs otherwise smooth, and crowned by a pubescent, persistent style base of equal length to the nut. In Schoenus carsei the nut is uniformly white and smooth, and completely lacking a persistent style-base. Schoenus carsei and Tetraria capillaris have been found growing together.
Flowering
October - March
Fruiting
January - June (but fruits may be present throughout the year)
Propagation Technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and by the division of whole plants, although as with many cyperaceous plants, specimens resent root disturbance and can take some time to recover from transplanting. Best grown in full sun on a poorly draining clay soil.
Threats
Not Threatened
Chromosome No.
2n = 20
Endemic Taxon
No
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
This page last updated on 14 Aug 2014