The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Chionochloa lanea

Etymology

Chionochloa: snow grass

Common Name(s)

Stewart Island Snow Tussock

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

Chionochloa lanea Connor

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CHILAN

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None (first described in 1991)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: Stewart Island

Habitat

Coastal to alpine. Usually in montane to alpine grassland and scrub in wet, boggy, or peaty sites. Descending to almost sea level in the south on cliffs and boulder falls.

Features

Tall, slender tussock with abundant, long hairy, dull sheaths, and shiny, slender, deciduous leaves. Leaf-sheath to 150 mm, compressed, entire, persistent, covered with long (4 mm) interlacing internerve hairs, apical tuft of hairs to 4 mm. Ligule to 1 mm. Leaf-blade to 450 × 2 mm, V-shaped, or convolute, disarticulating at ligule, abaxially glabrous, adaxially with very short hairs at base and prickle-teeth and papillae above; margin smooth. Culm to 600 mm, internodes glabrous, slightly compressed, sheath with few or no long hairs. Inflorescence to 100 mm, pulvinate, few spikelets, abundantly long hairy. Spikelets of up to 6 florets. Glumes glabrous, acute, > adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 10 mm, 3-nerved, upper to 14 mm, 5-nerved. Lemma to 5 mm; hairs dense at margin and few or none aside central nerve, glabrous elsewhere, < sinus; lateral lobes up to 6 mm, linear-triangular; central awn up to 15 mm from twisting column to 2 mm. Palea to 6 mm. Callus to 0.8 mm, hairs to 3 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 1 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 4 mm. Seeds to 1.5 mm

Flowering

November - December

Fruiting

December - April

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and from rooted pieces but very slow to establish. Prefers a damp soil, and is best grown in semi-shaded conditions. In the northern part of its New Zealand this species rarely flowers.

Threats

Range Restricted Stewart island endemic which is abundant throughout its known range. Plants are browsed by white-tailed deer but otherwise seem secure.

Chromosome No.

2n = 42

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Florets are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 2 Jun 2014