The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Festuca matthewsii subsp. latifundii

Etymology

Festuca: From the Latin festuca 'stem' or 'blade of grass'
matthewsii: after Mathews

Common Name(s)

southern blue Fescue

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

Festuca matthewsii subsp. latifundii Connor

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None (first described in 1998)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Waitaki Basin and Central Otago – excluding the Dunstan, Pisa, and Old Man Ranges).

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine and in intermontane basins. A major component of tussock grasslands on hills and plains

Features

Glaucous tussock with scabrid leaves and tall culms bearing reflexed branches of large spikelets. Leaf-sheath 30-100 mm, glabrous, margins membranous; apical auricles 0.4-1.0 mm, ciliate, approximately equal to ligule. Leaf-blade 80-300 × 0.5-0.9 mm, terete to ± hexagonal, undersides with short antrorse prickle-teeth especially on ribs, upper surface and margins with abundant longer white antrorse hairs. Culm 200-800 mm, usually exserted high above leaves, nodes dark, evident, internodes smooth but sometimes antrorsely scabrid. Panicle 60-180 mm, erect with 6-8 nodes, 10-20 spikelets; branches solitary or often binate, naked below, pulvinate and reflexed, basal branch 15-80 mm of 2-6 spikelets, uppermost 2-4 spikelets solitary on 2-4 mm pedicels; rachis margins prickle-toothed sometimes smooth below, branches and pedicels prickle-toothed on margins. Spikelets 10-16 × 4-6 mm, of 5-7 florets. Glumes unequal, keels sometimes prickle-toothed, centrally green, brown or reddish, margins ciliate; lower 3.0-5.5 mm, 1-nerved, upper 3.5-6.5 mm, 3-nerved. Lemma 5-8 mm, 5-nerved, glaucous, keeled, smooth except for prickle-teeth at apex, margin antrorsely hairy; awn 1-3 mm. Palea 5.0-7.5) mm, usually greater than or equal to lemma, deeply bifid, keels toothed in upper ½ or more, interkeel hairs at apex, margins of flanks hairy above. Callus 0.2-0.3 mm, margin sparsely bearded; articulation ± oblique. Rachilla 1.0-1.5 mm, abundantly short stiff hairy. Lodicules 0.7-1.4 mm, usually hair-tipped. Anthers 3.0-4.2 mm, yellow to purple. Ovary 0.6-1.0 mm, hispid hairs at apex; stigma-styles 1.2-2.0 mm. Seed 2-3 mm

Flowering

October - December

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,Yellow

Fruiting

November - March

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and rooted pieces. An attractive grass tolerant of most conditions but dislikes humidity.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 42

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 14 Aug 2014