Cyperaceae taxon details
Carex ambita K.A.Ford
1799267 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:1799267)
accepted
Species
Carex kirkii var. membranacea Kük. · unaccepted > superseded rank
recent only
Ford, K. A. (2025). A taxonomic revision of New Zealand species of <i>Carex</i> section <i>Inversae</i> Kük. (<i>Carex</i> subgenus <i>Vignea</i>, Cyperaceae). <em>New Zealand Journal of Botany.</em> 1-73., available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825x.2025.2458506
page(s): 24 [details] Available for editors
[request]
page(s): 24 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Lectotype AK 2490, geounit New Zealand South
Lectotype AK 2490, geounit New Zealand South [details]
Description Fine-leaved, graminoid, lax, dense tussocks; rhizomes ascending, with long internodes. Culms 20–120 mm long × 0.5–0.8...
Etymology From the Latin ambitus (encircling, surrounding), in reference to bordering the outer edge of ephemeral wetlands and tarns.
Description Fine-leaved, graminoid, lax, dense tussocks; rhizomes ascending, with long internodes. Culms 20–120 mm long × 0.5–0.8 mm diam., erect, semi-terete, glabrous, smooth, fully enclosed by leaf-sheaths; produced in clusters along the rhizome.Leaves >> culms; leaf-sheaths tightly enclosing culm, red-brown; ligule apex obtuse; leaf-blades 90–420 mm long × 0.4–1.2 mm wide, lax, involute, margins minutely scabridabove, green, leaf apex sub-acute, sub-trigonous to flat. Inflorescence 12–40 mm long ×4–8 mm wide, spicate with 4–8 spikes spaced or contiguous at the top of the culm; rarely compound below; lowest spike bract 10–100 mm long, filiform, > inflorescence; spikes ovoid, green maturing to brown, male flowers above female, loosely flowered. Maleflowers 1–2(–3) per spike, stamens (1)–2(–3), anthers 1.5–2.0 mm long. Female glumes 3.2–5.0 mm long, ≤ utricles, ovate to narrow-ovate, brown to pale-straw with a straw mid-vein, occas. scabrid above, margins entire and membranous, apex long acuminate. Utricles 4.0–5.5 mm long × 0.9–1.5 mm wide, ovate to narrow-ovate, plano-convex or concavo-convex, papery, smooth, occas. faintly papillose at the base adaxially, not turgid, pithy at base, both surfaces distinctly nerved, narrowly winged, margins finely scabrid above (mostly on beak), yellow-brown to brown; beak 1.5–3.0 mm long, tapering, split, yellow-brown or straw-coloured; orifice bifid; stipe blunt. Stigmas 2. Achenes 1.5–2.0 mm long × 0.9–1.2 mm wide, unequally biconvex, plano-convex, ovate, elliptic or obovate, smooth or faintly papillose, yellow-brown, light-brown, or cream-brown. [details]
Etymology From the Latin ambitus (encircling, surrounding), in reference to bordering the outer edge of ephemeral wetlands and tarns.
Etymology From the Latin ambitus (encircling, surrounding), in reference to bordering the outer edge of ephemeral wetlands and tarns. [details]
Cyperaceae Working Group. (2025). [see How to cite]. Global Cyperaceae Database. Carex ambita K.A.Ford. Accessed at: https://cyperaceae.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1799267 on 2025-09-12
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Nomenclature
original description
Ford, K. A. (2025). A taxonomic revision of New Zealand species of <i>Carex</i> section <i>Inversae</i> Kük. (<i>Carex</i> subgenus <i>Vignea</i>, Cyperaceae). <em>New Zealand Journal of Botany.</em> 1-73., available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825x.2025.2458506
page(s): 24 [details] Available for editors [request]
page(s): 24 [details] Available for editors
[request]
Present Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Isolectotype AK 2489, geounit New Zealand South [details]
Isolectotype US 2038826, geounit New Zealand South [details]
Lectotype AK 2490, geounit New Zealand South [details]
From editor or global species database
Description Fine-leaved, graminoid, lax, dense tussocks; rhizomes ascending, with long internodes. Culms 20–120 mm long × 0.5–0.8 mm diam., erect, semi-terete, glabrous, smooth, fully enclosed by leaf-sheaths; produced in clusters along the rhizome.Leaves >> culms; leaf-sheaths tightly enclosing culm, red-brown; ligule apex obtuse; leaf-blades 90–420 mm long × 0.4–1.2 mm wide, lax, involute, margins minutely scabridabove, green, leaf apex sub-acute, sub-trigonous to flat. Inflorescence 12–40 mm long ×4–8 mm wide, spicate with 4–8 spikes spaced or contiguous at the top of the culm; rarely compound below; lowest spike bract 10–100 mm long, filiform, > inflorescence; spikes ovoid, green maturing to brown, male flowers above female, loosely flowered. Maleflowers 1–2(–3) per spike, stamens (1)–2(–3), anthers 1.5–2.0 mm long. Female glumes 3.2–5.0 mm long, ≤ utricles, ovate to narrow-ovate, brown to pale-straw with a straw mid-vein, occas. scabrid above, margins entire and membranous, apex long acuminate. Utricles 4.0–5.5 mm long × 0.9–1.5 mm wide, ovate to narrow-ovate, plano-convex or concavo-convex, papery, smooth, occas. faintly papillose at the base adaxially, not turgid, pithy at base, both surfaces distinctly nerved, narrowly winged, margins finely scabrid above (mostly on beak), yellow-brown to brown; beak 1.5–3.0 mm long, tapering, split, yellow-brown or straw-coloured; orifice bifid; stipe blunt. Stigmas 2. Achenes 1.5–2.0 mm long × 0.9–1.2 mm wide, unequally biconvex, plano-convex, ovate, elliptic or obovate, smooth or faintly papillose, yellow-brown, light-brown, or cream-brown. [details]Diagnosis Similar to C. pilifolia but differs from it with its denser tussock habit, an inflorescence of 4–8 spikes, glumes ≤ utricles (3.2–5.0 mm long), utricles gradually tapered into the beak, and paper-thin in texture versus in C. pilifolia, a sparse-leaved tufted habit, a single spike, glumes >> utricles (5.5–7 mm long), utricles more bulbous at the base with a contracted beak, and coriaceous in texture. It differs from C. kirkii by having non-papillose and papery-thin utricles, in comparison to the densely papillose and coriaceous utricles of the latter [details]
Etymology From the Latin ambitus (encircling, surrounding), in reference to bordering the outer edge of ephemeral wetlands and tarns. [details]
Habitat Montane to subalpine, 730–1300 m; stream head basins and river flats, stream and tarn edges, borders of ephemeral wetlands on moraine surfaces, Chionochloa rubra tussockland; fine colluvium in sinkholes and trenches on limestone plateau; with Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Carex echinata Murray, C. penalpina, C. inversa, C. leporina, Coprosma cheesemanii W.R.B.Oliv., C. rigida, Eleocharis acuta, Festuca arundinacea, Gonocarpus aggregatus (Buchanan) Orchard, Holcus lanatus, Hypolepis ambigua (A.Rich.) Brownsey & Chinnock, Juncus antarcticus Hook.f., Microseris scapigera (Sol. ex A.Cunn.) Sch.Bip., Oreobolus strictus Berggr., Plantago raoulii Decne., Poa breviglumis Hook.f., P. colensoi, Ranunculus amphitrichus Colenso, Rytidosperma setifolium (Hook.f.) Connor & Edgar, Schoenus pauciflorus, Stenostachys enysii (Kirk) Barkworth & S.W.L.Jacobs, Trifolium repens, Veronica odora, V. odora Hook.f. [details]
