The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Puccinellia raroflorens

Etymology

Puccinellia: After the italian botanist Benedetto Puccinelli (1808 - 1850).
raroflorens: From the Latin raro 'sporadic' and florens 'flowering'

Common Name(s)

Saltgrass

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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 - Threatened - Nationally Critical
2004 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

Qualifiers

2012 - CD, DP
2009 - CD, DP

Authority

Puccinellia raroflorens Edgar

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island (Central Otago) and Stewart Island. Known from the salt pans of Central Otago and in coastal sites on Stewart Island (Paterson Inlet and Mason Bay).

Habitat

A species of inland salt pans, salt slicks, and coastal salt encrusted sand depressions. It has aleo been collected from near barren, stony ground within an estuary.

Features

Diminutive perennial grass forming diffuse matts up to 2 m diam. and 450 mm high. Plants usually partially covered in soil, rarely flowering with only the short, narrow, dull green leaves visible. Branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath hairless, wider than leaf-blade, ribs few, distinct. Ligule 0.2-0.6 mm, obtuse or truncate, transparent. Leaf-blade 10-30 x 0.2-0.5 mm, hair-like, inrolled, sometimes curled, hairless, tips subacute, margins minutely scabrid. Culm entirely hidden by leaf-sheaths. Panicle rarely present, 10-16 mm, overtopped by leaves, bearing 12 spikelets. Spikelets 3-4(-4.8) mm, 4-6-flowered, green to brownish green. Glumes unequal, ovate, obtuse; lower 0.6-1 mm, 1-nerved, upper 1.1-1.4 mm, 3-nerved. Lemma 1.8-2.5 mm, 5-nerved, ovate-elliptic, hairless. Anthers 0.4-0.6 mm. Seeds 1.2-1.6 x 0.6-0.7 mm.

Similar Taxa

This species can be distinguished from all other New Zealand Puccinellia Parl. in that it has extravaginal innovation shoots. Flowering plants are rarely seen. When present they differ from other Puccinellia in that the flowering panicles rarely overtop the surrounding leaves.

Flowering

November - January

Fruiting

November - February

Propagation Technique

Can be grown by the division of whole plants. Fresh seed should germinate easily.

Threats

This species is seriously threatened throughout its known mainland range because of the encroachment of salt-tolerant weeds within the saline soil habitats of Central Otago. Its status on Stewart Island remains unclear being known from just two collections made from widely separated localities and 20 years apart.

Chromosome No.

2n = 56

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 14 Jan 2014