FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. [Cyperaceæ.
H ab . Northern and Middle Islands; abundant in woods. Banks and Solander, eto.
A tall, coarse, leafy Sedge, 3 feet high and upwards. Cuhis stout, leafy ; sheaths slightly rough to the touch.
Leaves veiy long, flat or with convolute margins, smooth, ending in very slender filiform points. Panicle erect,
10-18 inches long, much branched and leafy. Branches not very long, incHned. Spihdeti altemate, pedicelled.
Bracteola and outer scales ovate, aristate, with membranous margins, often downy. Nut black, elliptic-ovate,
obscurely trigonous, slightly transversely ribbed inside, suspended by the very long filaments.—The ribbing inside
tbe nut indicates an approach to Qahnia.
i . Lampocarya xantlwearpa. Hook. G. ; culmo tereti elato robusto foliisque longissimis convolutis
lævibus striatis, panicula maxima effusa incbnata, ramis elongatis pendulis mGtGoris, bracteis foliaceis,
spicubs subGterms puberubs, bracteobs squamisque extimis aristatis intimis acutis, Gamentis longissimis,
nuce effiptica utrinque acuta paUide flava trigona nucleo obscure rugoso.—Schoenus xantbocarpus. Banks
et Sol. MSS.
H a b . Northern Island ; East Coast, Banks and Solander, Colenso ; Auckland, Sinclair.
A very fine species, 6-8 feet high, with à stout polished culm, and very long, quite smooth, grassy, coriaceous
leaves. Panicle 2-3 feet long, nodding, with leafy bracts. Branches very numerous, fascicled, 10 inches long,
drooping, bearing very numerous spikelets. Scales, Stamens, ete. like those of L. lacera.
Geu. X III . GAHNIA, Forst.
Omnia oe, sed nuce intus transverse sGcata.
This Australian and New Zealand geuus is known from Lampocarya, by the nut being wrinkled or grooved
transversely mside, and the seed being correspondingly cut into parallel transverse ridges. The filaments are four
m the New Zealand species, very much elongated. Stigmas three, or four, in which case one is bifid. L. lacera
has the cavity of the nut partially wrinkled, and shoGd perhaps be placed here, but the seed in my specimens is
unripe. (Named in hononr of Dr. Henry Gahn, a Swedish botanist.)
1. Gabma setifolia, Hook. G .; culmo tereti gracG subloevi, foliis convolutis longissime subGatis
asperGis apicibus Giformibus, pamcGa elongata gracG laxfflora, ramis elongatis, bracteis exterioribus
subGatis ramis pabiGs brevioribus, spiculis alterms atris breve pediceUatis, bracteobs spicGis brevioribus
squamisque extimis puberubs aristatis mtermeGis acuminatis supremis subobtusis, Gamentis 4 capillaribus,
stigmatibus 3-4, nuce rufa elliptiea nitida subtrigona apice cuspidata atra.—Lampocarya? A. Bich. Flor.
Schoenus erythrocarpus. Banks et Sol. MSS.
H ab . Northern Island ; common in woods, etc.. Banks and Solander, etc.
A very coarse, cutting, harsh Sedge, 2-4 feet high, with smooth round culm and long subulate convolute
leaves. enGng in scabrous fibform points. Panicle 1-2 feet long, slender, inclined, leafy below. Branches pale,
contrasting with the black spikelets, slender, much longer thau the upper bracts. Spikelets alternate, 2-3 lines long,
shortly pedicelled. Outer scales and bracts faintly downy, awned; inner scales acuminate, upper blunt ; two of the
latter often have flowers; the lower with four filaments only, upper with four stamens, and an ovarium with three or
four stigmas. Nut as long as the spikelets. pale red-brown, shining, obscurely angled, grooved on one side.
eUiptical, with a black point.—Very nearly allied to G. erythrocarpa of Tasmania, but the bracteæ and scales have
long awns in this species.
2. Gabma procera, Eorst. ; cGmo lævi, fobis longissimis basi lævibus supra medium scaberulis, pani-
cGa elongata gracG laxGora, bracteis filiformibns elongatis, ramis apicem versus floriferis, spicubs paucis
magms pedicellatis bracteobsque aristatis atro-purpureis, squamis paucis latis extimis aristatis spiculam
superautibus, filamentis 4, stigmatibus 3 -4 bifidis, nuce pallide brunnea.—Krs(. Prodr.
H a b . Middle Island ; Dusky Bay, Krefer ; Port Preservation, ify a« .
A very fine species, 3-4 feet high. Leaves longer than the cGms, smooth below, scabrid above, with scabrid
filiform apices. Panicle as iu the last, but with fewer shorter branches, longer foliaceous bracts, and fewer, much
larger spikelets, nearly i inch long, of a fine vinous-purple colour. Seales few, not so convolute as is usual in the
genus, outer longer than the spikelet. Filaments four, very long. Nut pale brown, scarcely shining.—The size
of the spikelets at once Gstlnguishes this very handsome species.
Gen. XIV. LEPIDOSPEEMA, Br.
Spiculæ l-2-floræ. Squamæ plurimæ, undique imbricatæ. Squamulæ hypogynæ 6, connatæ, carnosæ
V. membranaceæ. Stamina et stigmata 3. Nux obsolete triquetra, stylo basi sphacelato acuminata, v.
obtusa.
CoEirse and often ^gantic Sedges, with simple, unbranched, üat or angled culms, and usually sword-shaped
cutting foliage at the base; natives chiefly of Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand.—D/owirs panicled or spiked,
of the same structure as Cladium, except that there are small membranous or fleshy scales round the base of the
nut, which are more or less united together and to the nut. (Name from Xcttis, a scale, and (Twep/Aa, a seed.)
1. Lepidosperma australis, Hook, fil.; culmis cæspitosis glaberrimis compressis 3-4-gonis striatis,
foliis 3- 4-gonis rigidis subulatis erectis, spiculis in capitulum oblongum confertis, bracteis vaginantibus,
bracteolis mucronatis striatis, squamis 6-8 acuminatis, squamulis hypogynis 6 connatis nuce adnatis.—
Yautbiera australis, A. Rich. Mor.p . 107. t. 20. A. Cwm. Prodr.
H a b . Northern and Middle Islands ; common on banks of lakes, etc.
A tufted, rigid, almost leafless, rush-like Sedge. Culms 1 - 1 | foot high, quite smooth, irregularly 3-4-angled,
striated, compressed or square, angles sharp. Sheaths with rigid subulate 3-4-angled erect leaves, 3-8 inches long.
Spikelets crowded, spiked or fascicled, pale brown, forming a terminal short oblong capitulum i inch long. Bract
shortly sheathing, with a subulate erect point. Bracteolæ mucronate, striate; scales 6- 8, acuminate, terminal with
one flower. Stamens and stigmas tlu-ee. Hypogynous scales six, connate into a six-Iohed cup, which is persistent
on the ripe nut.
2. Lepidosperma longitndinalis, Lab.; culmis planis utrinque convexiusculis foliisque acuminatis
complanatis marginibus acutissimis minutissime denticulatis, panicula terminali bracteata contracta pauciflora,
spiculis 1 -floris subfasciculatis breve pedicellatis, fasciculis bractea late ovata æquilonga aristata
acuminata suffultis, squamis aristatis puberulis, nuce obovata apice bulbo crasso læH terminata basi squamulis
adnatis obscuris suffulta.—Labill. Fl. N, Holl. v. 1. p . 16. 1 .13. B r . Prodr. Lepidosperma elatior,
A. Cimn. Prodr. non Br.
H a b . Northern Island ; Bay of Islands, A. Cunningham, etc.; Auckland, Sinclair.
Culm leafless, except at the very base, 1-3 feet high, quite flat and tape-like, 2-3 lines broad, vrith cutting
denticulate edges. Leaf similar, acuminate. Panicle erect, rigid, 3-3 inches long, of few branches, with an acute
spathaceous bract at the base. Spikelets few, one-flowered, short, scattered in little appressed fascicles of two or
tbree, surrounded by an awned bract. Scales puberulous, with awned or subulate points, rough at the back.
Stamens three ; filaments not elongated in fruit. Half-ripe nut with a very large swollen polished bulb, broader
than itself, and adnate scales at the base.—My specimens are uot good, but appear to be the same as a very common
Tasmanian plant, and Siebcr’s L. linearis (Herb. Exsice. n. 9).
3. Lepidosperma striata, Br. ; culmo tereti exsulco vaginato, vaginis elongatis, foliolo brevissimo
obcompresso verticali, panicula spicæformi, spiculis subsessilibus subgeminis sptitha obtusa inclusis 1 -fioris,
ovario trigono apice bulboso incrassato puberulo.-—Dr. Prodr. Schoenus unguiculatus, Banks et S o l MSS.