Species

Carex leporina

Etymology

Carex: Latin name for a species of sedge, now applied to the whole group.

Common Name(s)

oval sedge

Authority

Carex leporina L.

Family

Cyperaceae

Brief Description

Dense pale green grass-like tufts or mat-like swards up to 1 m tall, with slightly taller flower stem bearing brown oval heads near the tip.

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

CARLEP

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

Carex ovalis Gooden.

Distribution

Locally common throughout New Zealand.

Habitat

Wide variety of wet habitats from lowland to subalpine, especially disturbed habitats, but also a problem weed in short turf wetland where it can completely displace indigenous vegetation.

Features

Dense tufts; rhizome short. Stems 20-60-(120) cm high, 3-angled, scabrid just below inflorescence. Leaves 1.5-3.5 mm wide, usually < stems, ± flat, ± soft, bright green, sheaths light brown. Inflorescence a compact ovoid head 2.5-4- (6) cm long, of 3-5- (11) approximate, sessile, light green to light brown spikes; bracts glume-like and inconspicuous or > inflorescence and ± setaceous. Spikes androgynous, male flowers at base. Glumes = or slightly < utricles, light brown with paler green to brown midrib, acute. Utricles 4-4.5 × ± 2 mm, ovoid, plano-convex, distinctly nerved, with winged margins almost covered by glumes, scabrid towards the tapered beak of ± 1 mm long. Stigmas 2. Nut plano-convex, ± oblong.

Similar Taxa

Two other Carex spp. have oval spikes (C. scoparia and C. longii). Both these species have glumes shorter than the utricle, so C. leporina spikes appear less compact (see comparison with C. scoparia in photo).

Flowering

Late spring to early summer

Flower Colours

Brown,Green

Fruiting

Summer to autumn

Year Naturalised

1879

Origin

Europe, Asia, North Africa

Reason for Introduction

Unknown, seed or soil contaminant.

Control Techniques

Can be controlled manually, mechanically or herbicidally depending on situation.

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Seed dispersed by contaminated machinery or waterfowl.

Attribution

Prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA). Features description from Healy and Edgar (1980).

References and further reading

Healy, A.J.; Edgar, E.  (1980). Flora of New Zealand, Volume III.  Adventive Cyperaceous, Petalous and Spathaceous Monocotyledons.  Government Printer, Wellington.  220pp.

Johnson PN, Brooke PA (1989).  Wetland plants in New Zealand.   DSIR Field Guide, DSIR Publishing, Wellington. 319pp.

Champion et al (2012). Freshwater Pests of New Zealand.  NIWA publication. http://www.niwa.co.nz/freshwater-and-estuaries/management-tools/identification-guides-and-fact-sheets/freshwater-pest-species

This page last updated on 10 Oct 2017