The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Trisetum antarcticum

Etymology

Trisetum: Three-bristled
antarcticum: Antarctic

Common Name(s)

None Known

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Declining

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 - Declining
2004 - Gradual Decline

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Trisetum antarcticum (G.Forst.) Trin.

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

TRIANT

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

Aira antarctica G.Forst., Avena antarctica (G.Forst.) Roem. et Schult., Trisetum saxeticolum Cockayne et Allan

Distribution

Endemic. North Island south from the southern Egmont Coast, on Kapiti Island and western and southern Wellington Coasts to Cape Palliser. In the South Island at Cape Farewell and along the outer Marlbrough Sounds and adjacent islands.

Habitat

Coastal, on gravel, sand and bluffs.

Features

Densely tufted, dull green to grey-green grass up to 400 mm tall, with rather rigid leaves usually reaching or sometimes overtopping the dense spike-like panicles. branching extravaginal at plant base, sometimes intravaginal above. Leaf-sheath to 40 mm, very minutely pubescent or with extremely minute appressed hairs between ribs. Ligule 0.2-0.6 mm, truncate , erose often sparsely minutely ciliate, undersides sometimes minutely prickle-toothed. Leaf-blade 35-220 x 1.5-4 mm, flat or inrolled, undersides mostly smooth, often scabrid near the long-narrow tapering apex; upper surface ribbed with sparse to dense minute hairs and prickle-teeth on ribs, hairs slightly longer near ligule; margins minutely prickle-toothed. Culm 40-300 mm long, internodes glabrous, occasionally bearing a few minute prickle-teeth below panicle. Panicle 20-150 x 6-25 mm, compact, oblong, very dense, rarely with some lower branches and pedicels smooth or with sparse minute prickle-teeth or rarely minute hairs. Spikelets 4.5-7.0 mm, greyish green or brownish amber. Glumes unequal, hyaline, keel thickened with sparse long prickle-teeth on upper half; lower 2/3 to 4/5 length of upper, linear-lanceolate, upper slightly < spikelet, elliptic; margins with prickle-teeth near acuminate to almost mucronate apex. Lemma 4.0-6.2 mm, bidentate to shortly bicuspid, papillose, prickle-toothed above and on keel; awn 3.5-6.0, initially straight becoming recurved, insertion in upper 1/4 of lemma. palea with minute prickle-teeth on keels and usually on margins. Callus hairs to 0.5 mm. Rachilla hairs to 2.5 mm. Lodicules c.1 mm, glabrous. Anthers 1.0-1.7 mm. Ovary 0.8 mm; stigma-styles to 1.3 mm. Seed 2.5-3.0 x 0.6 mm.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished from the nine other indigenous species by the dense, compact, oblong panicle (rarely with spreading lower branches) and by the stiff, rigidly erect, flat grey-green to dull green leaves with the undersides glabrous and the upper minutely, though distinctly scabrid.

Flowering

November - February

Fruiting

December - May

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed and the division of whole plants. An attractive grass for an open spot in well drained soil. Once established rather drought tolerant.

Threats

Still quite common in parts of its range but there has been a range contraction around Wellington due to the spread of weeds into its habitat, and also because of greywacke quarrying along the south coast.

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 20 Jan 2014