Tussock grasslands form expansive and distinctive landscapes in the
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...
and, to a lesser extent, in the
Central Plateau region of the
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...
of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
. Most of the plants referred to as
tussocks are in the genera ''
Chionochloa
''Chionochloa'' is a genus of tussock grass in the family Poaceae, found primarily in New Zealand with one known species in New Guinea and another on Lord Howe Island (part of Australia). Some of the species are referred to as snowgrass.
Most o ...
'', ''
Festuca'', and ''
Poa'', also ''
Carex
''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...
''.
What would be termed "
herbfield
Herbfields are plant communities dominated by herbaceous plants, especially forbs and grasses. They are found where climatic conditions do not allow large woody plants to grow, such as in subantarctic and alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a t ...
s" for European mountains, and bunchgrass meadows in North America, are referred to as tussock herbfields in New Zealand due to a dominance of this type of plant. Species of the genus ''Chionochloa'' dominate in these areas. The larger tussocks are called snow grass (or less commonly snow tussocks) and may grow up to in height. They grow slowly and some specimens are estimated to be several centuries old.
See also
*
Canterbury–Otago tussock grasslands
The Canterbury-Otago tussock grasslands is an ecoregion of the South Island, New Zealand, part of the wider tussock grasslands of New Zealand.
Location and description
This ecoregion is a large area of dry grassy plains between the east coast an ...
*
Southland montane grasslands
The Southland montane grasslands, also known as the South Island montane grasslands, is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion on New Zealand’s South Island. The ecoregion covers the middle portion of the Southern Alps, and includes exten ...
*
Environment of New Zealand
References
External links
Grasslands ''Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand''
NZ Grass Key – key to the grasses of New Zealand— ''Allan Herbarium, Christchurch, New Zealand''.
Ecoregions of New Zealand
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
*
Vegetation of New Zealand
Bunchgrasses of Australasia
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