Carex klaphakei (a tall perennial herb) - endangered species listing
The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list Carex klaphakei K.L. Wilson a tall perennial herb, as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.
NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
The Scientific Committee has found that:
1. Carex klaphakei is a perennial herb recently described in 1996. The description below is taken in full from the publication: K.L. Wilson (1996) A new Australian species of Carex (Cyperaceae) and notes on two other species. Telopea 6(4) pages 569-577.
"Perennial herb; rhizomes long, firm but not strongly woody; shoots at 2-6 cm intervals along rhizomes. Culms erect, terete or oval, 45-160 cm long, to 1.2 mm diam., smooth or faintly scaberulous. Leaves with reduced, flat blades to 7 cm long, c. 1.5 mm wide; ligule white- to brown-membranous, rounded, c. 0.3 mm wide. Inflorescence 0.8-1.5 cm long, composed of a single spike or up to 3 spikes forming a short cluster; lowest 1 or 2 leafy involucral bracts shorter than the inflorescence or rarely slightly exceeding it, to c. 1.5 cm long. Spikes androgynous with upper male portion often half-hidden by the female portion, 6-10 mm long, 1-3 per inflorescence, few flowered. Male bracts ('glumes') c. 4 mm long; pale yellow-brown to pale red-brown, with apex acute and mucro c. 0.3 mm long; female bracts ('glumes') 3-4 mm long, pale yellow-brown to red-brown, with apex acute and mucro 0.5-1 mm long. Stamens 3; anthers c. 2 mm long excluding apical appendage c. 0.2 mm long. Utricles ovate in outline, plano-convex, thickened near base, strongly 8-10-nerved on abaxial surface, not or faintly few-nerved adaxially, exceeding the subtending bract, 5.5-7 mm long, 1.7-2 mm diameter in broadest part, green to yellow-brown, eventually grey-brown, shining when mature; beak long-tapering, more or less excurved eventually, slightly hispidulous on margins, with 2-fid or split apex. Style 2-fid. Nut narrow-elliptical to obovate in outline, with obtuse apex, plano-convex, 2-2.5 mm long, 1.3-1.5 mm diam., pale brown."
2. Carex klaphakei grows with other native sedges and rushes in swamps on sandstone at altitudes of greater than 600 m. It is locally common over a small area in a very restricted habitat.
3. Carex klaphakei is known from only 3 locations on the Central Tablelands of NSW at Blackheath, near Mt Werong and near Penrose where it is very localised.
4. A part of one population occurs on the boundary of Kanangra-Boyd National Park, the other populations are unreserved.
5. There are threats to the survival of the species at all sites. One site is subject to runoff from urban areas and the highway. One site is partly on freehold land and may be subject to future grazing of livestock. The largest known site appears to be under the greater threat from nearby sandmining activities and clearfelling of the surrounding pine forest.
6. The small area of occupancy and the great distance between populations (c. 50 km) makes these populations susceptible to extinction from human activities or stochastic events.
7. In view of 3, 4, 5, and 6 above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Carex klaphakei is likely to become extinct in nature in NSW unless the circumstances and factors threatening its survival or evolutionary development cease to operate.
Proposed Gazettal date: 3/3/00
Exhibition period: 3/3/00 - 7/4/00
The NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee undertook a review of this species in 2022 and found that the threat status is unchanged. The Conservation assessment report may be downloaded: Conservation assessment report Carex klaphakei (PDF 378KB).