The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Chionochloa rubra subsp. rubra var. inermis

Etymology

Chionochloa: snow grass
rubra: red
inermis: not spiny, unarmed

Common Name(s)

Mt Egmont 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 - OL
2009 - OL

Authority

Chionochloa rubra subsp. rubra var. inermis Connor

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

CHIRRI

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None (first described in 1991)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Mt Egmont)

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine and in some of the larger upper montane bogs. The dominant tussock of Mt Egmonts grasslands and bogs (rarely in subalpine scrub).

Features

Tall, slender, reddish-green tussock with crowded, erect, stiff, rush-like leaves. Leaf-sheath to 300 mm, dark brown, keeled, incurving, remaining entire or fracturing into short segments, margin separating and coiling, apical tuft of hairs to 3 mm. Ligule to 1 mm. Leaf-blade to 1 m long and 1.2 mm diameter, greenish, acicular rush-like, splitting longitudinally, keel hollow, undersides glabrous but infrequently with long hairs near base, prickle-teeth towards apex, upper surface papillate; margin smooth. Culm to 1.5 m, internodes glabrous but sometimes long hairy, sheath glabrous. Inflorescence to 450 mm, open on pulvinate branches, glabrous except for long hairs at branch axils and short stiff hairs below spikelets, rarely becoming scabrid above. Spikelets of up to 9 florets. Glumes glabrous, acute, infrequently awned, less than or equal to adjacent lemma lobes, lower to 12 mm, 1-3-5-nerved, upper to 14 mm, 3-7-nerved. Lemma to 6 mm; hairs dense on margin, usually absent or sparse elsewhere, < sinus; lateral lobes to 6 mm including awn to 3 mm, rarely unawned; central awn to 13 mm from twisting column to 3 mm. Palea to 8 mm. Callus to 1.5 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Rachilla to 0.75 mm. Lodicules to 1 mm. Anthers to 5 mm. Ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 4 mm. Seeds to 3.5 mm

Similar Taxa

Chionochloa rubra Zotov subsp. rubra var. rubra from which var. inermis differs by the greenish rather than red to red-brown leaves; upper leaf-suraces which are papillate rather than covered in fine prickle-teeth; by the smooth rather than scabrid leaf margins, and by the larger anthers (to 5.0 mm cf. 3.5 mm in var. rubra).

Flowering

October - December

Fruiting

November - May

Propagation Technique

Easy from fresh seed and the division of whole plants. However, slow growing and dislikes warm, humid climates and drought. The unusual (for a member of the red tussock group) greenish foliage becomes more pronounced in winter

Threats

Range Restricted endemic abundant within its only known location Mt Egmont National Park. There are no known serious threats to this tussock in the wild.

Chromosome No.

2n = 42

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 1 Oct 2013