The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Carex devia

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

Sedge

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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 - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR

Authority

Carex devia Cheeseman

Family

Cyperaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CARDEV

Structural Class

Sedges

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, Nelson where confined to ultramafic rocks (Mt Dun, Red Hills and Upper Takaka River (Asbestos Hut area)

Habitat

A common species of open ultramafic scree, boulder field, tussock grassland and under low lying scrub. Also common on old mine workings in the upper Takaka and at Dun Mountain.

Features

Rather loosely caespitose, reddish green to yellow-green sedge of ultramafic shrubland, tussock grassland, scree, pavement and boulder field. Culms 70-750(-900) x 1 mm, usually much > leaves, subtrigonous, glabrous or finely scabrid; basal sheaths brown, dark brown, to almost charcoal black, occasionally red-tinged. Leaves 70-300 x 1.5-2.5 mm, usually crowded at base of culm, channeled, often involute, rather stiff, margins scabrid. Spikes 2-4, ± distant, sessile usually with the lower 1-2 shortly pedunculate; terminal 1-2 spikes male, these 1.5-3 mm diameter, typically clavate, rarely with a few female flowers near the base, female spikes 0-30 x 5 mm. Glumes (excluding awn) just < utricles in length, ovate, acute, sometimes emarginated, coriaceous, red-purple or red-brown with a green midrib prolonged to a hispid awn or varying length. Utricles 3 x 1.5 mm, unequal, biconvex to plano-convex, ellipsoid, light brown at base, darker brown above, distinctly nerved, abruptly narrowed to a 0.2-0.5 mm beak, this deeply cleft with divergent teeth, crura scabrid, utricle other glabrous, stipe 0.5 mm. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.8-1.9 mm, biconvex, oblong.

Similar Taxa

The ultramafic sister species of Carex flagellifera Colenso, from which it differs by the rather leathery reddish-green rather softer, yellow-green to green leaves, close-set rather than distant, shorter, broader female spikes, clavate rather than gracile linear terminal male spikes, and distinctly rather than faintly nerved completely red-purple or red-brown rather than bicoloured (light brown basally dark brown terminally) utricles. In some situations the fruiting culms may elongate up to 2 m from the parent plant. The two species have distinctly different chromosome numbers, 2n = c.58 in C. flagellifera, 2n = c.70-72 in C. devia.

Flowering

September - December

Fruiting

September - June

Propagation Technique

Although this is an ultramafic endemic it is easily grown in most soils and situations. Favouring free draining sites and full sun it is an attractive alternative to the more commonly cultivated Carex flagellifera Colenso and C. testacea Sol. ex Boott in Hook.f. Can be propagated by division of whole plants and/ or by sowing fresh seed.

Threats

A local, range restricted endemic abundant within the ultramafic communities it favours.

Chromosome No.

2n = c.70-72

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Nuts surrounded by inflated utricles are dispersed by granivory and wind (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 29 May 2014