Carex erebus

Carex erebus is a member of the sedge family and is found on the Antarctic Islands of Australia and New Zealand.

Distribution

It is found on Macquarie Island, and in New
Zealand on Stewart Island, Antipodes Island, Auckland Islands and Campbell [Island, New Zealand|Campbell Island].

Taxonomy

Carex erebus was first described in 1844 by Francis Boott as Uncinia hookeri in Joseph Hooker's Flora Antarctica. In 2015, in order to make the genus Carex monophyletic, the genus, Uncinia, was sunk into Carex. The name, Carex hookeri had already been published in 1837 for another species. Hence a new species epithet was required: erebus was chosen, being the name of the ship on which Hooker sailed on the Antarctic expedition of 1839-1843 when this species was
first collected on the Auckland Islands.

Conservation status

In both 2009 and 2012 it was deemed to be "At Risk - Naturally Uncommon" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, and this New Zealand classification was reaffirmed in 2018 but with a further comment that it is secure overseas.