Species

Deschampsia pusilla

Etymology

Deschampsia: after Deschamps
pusilla: Small

Common Name(s)

None known

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 - Data Deficient

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Deschampsia pusilla Petrie

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

DESPUS

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. It has been recorded only from the Central Otago mountains.

Habitat

A species of high alpine habitats in fell field, around tarns and in seepages. Often associated with small cushion plants.

Features

Compact, leafy grass, 2-4.5(-10) cm tall. Leaf-sheath wider than leaf-blade, light-brownish grey, with few inconspicuous veins. Ligule (1.5-)2(-3.5) mm, tapered to an acute tip. Leaves 5.5-17 × 0.3-0.5 mm long, in-rolled, narrow smooth with finely toothed leaf margins, apex rounded (subobtuse). Culm (stem) 1.2-2.5(-4) cm, branched at base, often buried amongst leaves. Panicle (flowering spike) (5-)8-5(-18) mm, compact, branches few, these minutely scabrid (with small teeth). Spikelets 2.2-3 mm, greenish, shinning. Glumes more or less equal in length and size of spikelets, keels sparsely scabrid above, tip subacute, acute, almost spine-tipped (mucronate), lower 1-nerved, upper 3-nerved. Lemma 1.5-2.2 mm, faintly 5-nerved, oblong, 4-5-toothed with short terminal spine (mucro) 0.3-0.5 mm. Palea less than or equal to lemma, apex deeply cleft, keels finely scabrid. Anthers (0.3-)0.5(-0.6) mm. Seed c. 1 × 0.4 mm.

Similar Taxa

Deschampsia pusilla has no close relatives, and is unlikely to be confused with other associated grasses in the habitats it occupies.

Flowering

No information available

Fruiting

No information available

Propagation Technique

No information available.

Threats

Because of its small size, and restriction to high alpine situations in remote parts of Central Otago, this species is only known from a small number of collections. It may be common in these habitats but until comprehensive surveys are undertaken the exact status remains uncertain.

Chromosome No.

2n = 26

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

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

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

  

References and further reading

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

This page last updated on 24 Jul 2014