Agrostis subulata
Agrostis subulata is a member of the genus Agrostis, in the tribe Poeae and family Poaceae. It is endemic to the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, specifically the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, and Antipodes Island.
Description
Agrostis subulata is a perennial, densely tufted, clumping grass, with erect dull blue-green leaves which are taller than the spiked inflorescences.A. subulata is similar to A. muelleriana, another small, cold-climate Agrostis species which also has dense panicles. However, the two species are geographically separated, and the glumes, panicle branches, and leaves of A. subulata are more scabrid.
Habitat
It is found in herbfields, in Chionochloa antarctica grasslands and on peat covered rock ledges.Taxonomy
Agrostis subulata was first described in 1845 by Joseph Hooker in his Flora Antarctica.Conservation status
Agrostis subulata was deemed At Risk - Naturally Uncommon in 2023 under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. All previous iterations of conservation statuses of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand also considered A. subulata At Risk - Naturally Uncommon.While no specific threats have been listed, the classifier Range Restricted, meaning that the plant is only found in a small area, has always been attached to the designation. While many range restricted species are not known to be declining, they are still at greater threat than widespread species, because new threats are more likely to rapidly cause decline.