Class
Order
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Carex perplexa (Heenan & de Lange) K.A.Ford in Global Carex Group, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 179: 35 (2015)
Synonymy:
- ≡ Uncinia perplexa Heenan & de Lange, New Zealand J. Bot. 39: 376-377 (2001)
Description
Large tufts to spreading clumps, with short, stout, upright or spreading rhizomes. Culms 400-550 × 0.7-0.9 mm, glabrous, trigonous, > leaves; leaf sheaths up to 30 mm long, yellow-brown, nerves light brown. Leaves 6-1 1 per culm, up to 250-500(-550) × 2-5 mm, weakly channelled, upright to spreading, often curved, green; adaxial surface scabrid on proximal part, otherwise glabrous; abaxial surface keeled, keel scabrid, otherwise glabrous; margin scabrid; apex acute, trigonous, scabrid. Spikes linear, up to 55 mm long, 2-3 mm wide; female florets proximal, 15-24, internodes 3.5 mm long at base of spike, decreasing to 0.6 mm long above; male florets distal, 15-20, imbricate. Spike sometimes subtended by a leaflike bract; bract 15-95 × 0.2-1.2 mm, channelled, margins and abaxial midrib scabrid, apex trigonous. Male glumes 3.5-4.0 × c. 1.0 mm, narrow elliptic- lanceolate to narrow elliptic, hyaline, midrib green with 1 prominent central nerve, light brown at maturity, apex acute, margin membranous. Filaments c. 2 mm long; anthers c. 1.2 mm long. Female glumes 3.5-4.0 × 1.0-1.2 mm, ± equal in length to utricles, elliptic lanceolate to narrow elliptic, hyaline, deciduous; midrib green, light brown at maturity, with 1 prominent central nerve, apex acute to subacute, margins membranous; lowest 1(-2) glumes sometimes with prominent leaflike awns up to 50 mm long, slender, filiform, scabrid. Utricles 4.2-4.3 × 1.2-1.3 mm, planoconvex, ovate to elliptic, glabrous, light green when young, light brown at maturity, lateral nerves ± prominent but not conspicuous, stipe and beak both narrow, each c. 1 mm long; rachilla 2.4-3.6 mm long. Nuts 2.2- 2.4 × 1.0-1.2 mm, oblong, light green to silver- green. FL Dec; FT Jan-Apr.
[Reproduced from Heenan & de Lange (2001, New Zealand J. Bot. 39: 373–380) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand. as Uncinia perplexa Heenan & de Lange]
Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Bibliography
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [as Uncinia perplexa Heenan & de Lange] [Nationally Critical]
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76. [as Uncinia perplexa Heenan & de Lange]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Naturally Uncommon]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [as Uncinia perplexa Heenan & de Lange] [Naturally Uncommon]
Global Carex Group 2015: Making Carex monophyletic (Cyperaceae, tribe Cariceae): a new broader circumscription. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 179: 1–42.
Heenan, P.B.; de Lange, P.J. 2001: A new, dodecaploid species of Uncinia (Cyperaceae) from ultramafic rocks, Surville Cliffs, Northland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 39(3): 373–380.
