''Anemanthele'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of plants in the grass family

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

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 count ...

. The only known species is ''Anemanthele lessoniana'', often called gossamer grass or New Zealand wind grass or pheasant's tail grass. This is a naturally rare grass in the wild but it is widely cultivated for use as an attractive ornamental garden plant. It is marginal in zone 8, going dormant and deciduous in cold winters, but usually

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

to semi-evergreen. It has green arching foliage to 3 feet in USDA 8, with highlights of orange, copper, and gold, especially in drier soils. This plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit.

References

External links

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, ''Anemanthele lessoniana''Royal Horticultural Society, ''Anemanthele lessoniana,'' pheasant's tail grass (syn. ''Stipa arundinacea)''
Pooideae Bunchgrasses of Australasia Endemic flora of New Zealand Grasses of New Zealand Monotypic Poaceae genera Garden plants of Oceania {{NewZealand-plant-stub