The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani

Common Name(s)

kuawa

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

Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (C.C.Gmel.) Palla

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

SCHTAB

Structural Class

Sedges

Synonyms

Schoenoplectus validus (Vahl) Á.Löve & D.Löve. In the past New Zealand plants have been erroneously referred to Scirpus lacustris L. and Schoenoplectus lacustris (L) Palla.

Distribution

Indigenous. North, South and Chatham Islands. Throughout the North Island, In the South Island present in Nelson, Marlborough, Westland otherwise only around Christchurch and Lake Ellesmere. On the Chatham Islands known from one place - where it is possibly introduced. Otherwise found throughout the world.

Habitat

Coastal to montane (up to 300 m a.s.l.). Mostly in standing water, growing in brackish or freshwater systems such as lakes, ponds, lagoons, river and stream margins. Also found well inland around geothermal systems.

Features

Rhizome 3-8 mm diameter, horizontal, hard and woody, red-brown, with loose papery, grey, well spaced, scales, 20 mm long; roots numerous, fibrous, reddish. Culms 0.6-3.0 m, 3-10 mm diameter, crowded or distant on rhizome, terete with spongy pith. Leaves reduced to loose, grey-brown, papery sheaths at base of culms, the uppermost to 350 mm long. Inflorescence seemingly lateral, comprised of numerous spikelets in a cymose irregular umbel, primary rays 10-60 mm long, scabrid; subtending terete bract << inflorescence. Spikelets 6-11 mm long, oblong-ovoid or oblong-ellipsoid, light brown, solitary, or in clusters of 2-4 on long, scabrid peduncles. Glumes about equal in length to nut, smooth, ovate, emarginate, shortly awned; margin narrow, hyaline, fringed. Hypogynous bristles 5-6, more or less equal to nut in length, retrorsely scabrid. Stigmas 2 (-3). Nut 2.0-2.5 x 1.5 mm, obovoid, plano-convex, apiculate, smooth, light grey.

Similar Taxa

Schoenoplectus californicus (C.A.Mey.) Palla is an aggressive weedy species that is somewhat similar. It reaches 4 m in height, and differs by the culm being triangular in the upper third rather the terete (in cross-section) for its entire length, by the pendulous rather than spreading spikelets and plumose rather than scabrid hypogynous bristles. Schoenoplectus pungens (Vahl) Palla differs by its consistently triangular (in cross section) culms, and sessile 1-3 spikelets. Overall it is a much smaller plant than either of the other two species.

Flowering

November - January

Fruiting

January - May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and the division of whole plants. An important and valuable plant for treating effluent and other polluted water, and so now widely used in artifical wetlands for this purpose.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 42

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 11 Aug 2014