The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Festuca matthewsii subsp. aquilonia

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

northern 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. aquilonia Connor

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

FESMSA

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None (first described in 1998)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (North-West Nelson (Mt Benson), central and southern Nelson from St Arnaud to Lewis Pass, Marlborough, Wairau Mountains and Richmond Range)

Habitat

Subalpine and alpine tussock grasslands

Features

Stiff scabrid leaved tussock with scabrid inflorescences of wide-angled branches of awned spikelets borne high above circular or hexagonal glaucous leaves. Leaf-sheath 50-150 mm, glabrous or minutely scabrid, keeled, stramineous, margins membranous, brown below; apical auricles 0.3-0.7 mm, ciliate. Collar usually swollen. Leaf-blade 150.0-300.0 × 0.5-0.7 mm, glaucous, hexagonal and ribbed or terete, abaxially minutely or strongly antrorsely prickle-toothed sometimes glabrous, adaxially with abundant short white antrorse hairs on ribs and margins. Culm 300-700 mm, usually greatly exceeding leaf-blades, nodes sometimes geniculate, uppermost conspicuous, upper internodes sparsely prickle-toothed or glabrous. Panicle 70-150 mm with 6-9 nodes, of 8-25 spikelets; open wide-angled pulvinate branches sometimes contracted or becoming so, naked below, basal branch solitary with 2-7 spikelets, uppermost 4-6 spikelets solitary on short pedicels; rachis, branches and pedicels with abundant small prickle-teeth especially on convex surfaces, longer prickle-teeth on margins. Spikelets 10.0-15.0 × 4.5 mm, of 4-9 florets. Glumes unequal, keeled with prickle-teeth above, centrally green-bronze, margins pale membranous, ciliate; lower 3.4-5.0 mm, 1-nerved, triangular acute, upper 4.5-7.0 mm, 3-nerved, long triangular acute to obovate acute. Lemma 4.5-7.0 mm, lobes small (0.05 mm) or 0, rounded below becoming keeled above, sparsely scabrid on margin below and near awn; awn 0.5-1-2 mm. Palea 5-7 mm, frequently > lemma, apex deeply bifid, ciliate, keels toothed ½-2/3 or more, interkeel hairs above, margins of flanks ciliate above. Callus 0.2-0.3 mm, margins sparsely bearded, articulation ± flat. Rachilla 1.0-1.5 mm, hairy, hairs short and stiff. Lodicules 0.8-1.1 mm, > ovary, often hair-tipped. Anthers 2.50-3.75 mm, yellow or purpled. Ovary 0.50-0.75 mm, hispid hairs at apex; stigma-styles 1.8-2.5 mm. Seed 3-3.5 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