The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Festuca matthewsii subsp. pisamontis

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

Otago Blue Fescue

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

Festuca matthewsii subsp. pisamontis Connor

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

FESMSP

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None (first described in 1998)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Central Otago: Dunstan, Pisa, and Old Man Ranges)

Habitat

Montane to alpine. In tussock grassland (often the dominant species), around rock outcrops, amongst scrub

Features

Moderately tall short tussock with very smooth or minutely prickle-toothed fine leaf-blades, below laxly branched inflorescence of large spikelets with conspicuously awned florets. Leaf-sheath 25-70 mm, glabrous, striate, stramineous, margin membranous; apical auricles 0.4-1.3 mm, rounded, ciliate. Ligule 0.3-0.6 mm, ciliate. Leaf-blade 50.0-200.0 × 0.4-0.6 mm, hexagonal and ribbed or ± terete, pointed, undersides smooth or minutely imperceptibly antrorsely prickle-toothed on ribs, upper surface and margins abundantly short white antrorsely hairy. Culm 110-400 mm, erect, well exserted above leaf-blades; nodes visible; internodes smooth but sometimes occasionally minutely prickle-toothed. Panicle 25-130 mm with 5-9 nodes, 4-16 spikelets; branches solitary sometimes binate, lax, naked below, basal branch 12-55 mm, of 1-5 spikelets, uppermost 3-5 spikelets solitary on short pedicels; rachis prickle-toothed on margins throughout or sometimes glabrous below becoming scabrid above, branches and pedicels prickle-toothed. Spikelets 10-15 × 3-5 mm, of 5-6 florets. Glumes unequal, keeled or slightly so, prickle-teeth above, usually brown or purpled centrally, margins membranous, ciliate; lower 2.8-4.0 mm, 1-nerved, long triangular acute or blunt, upper 3.5-5.5 mm, 3-nerved, narrowly ovate, obtuse to acute. Lemma 3.7-6.2 mm, lobes 0.1 mm, rounded, glabrous except for prickle-teeth at apex and near awn, glaucous; awn 1.2-2.5 mm. Palea 4.5-6.8 mm, often=lemma, acute, deeply bifid, keels toothed in upper ½ - 2/3, interkeel hairs above, margins of flanks ciliate above. Callus 0.2-0.3 mm, margin very sparsely shortly bearded; articulation flat. Rachilla 1.0-1.5 mm, short stiff antrorsely hairy. Lodicules 0.8-1.2 mm, lobed, usually hair-tipped. Anthers 2.8-3.7 mm, yellow. Ovary 0.6-0.9 mm, obovate, apex usually with hispid hairs; stigma-styles 1.2-1.3 mm. Seed 3 mm.

Flowering

October - December

Flower Colours

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

Local endemic, common within its geographic region

Chromosome No.

2n = 42

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 19 Nov 2013