p il'*
380 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. [Cyperaceæ.
Ha b . Northern Island; salt and fresh marshes, etc.; Bay of Islands, Banks and Solander, Sinclair,
etc.
A rigid, \riry, rush-like species, 1-2 feet high. ItooU tufted and creeping. Culms smooth, cylindric, leafless.
Sheaths with long tubes, oblique mouths, aud short, curved, erect, laterally flattened, blunt leaflets. Panicle small,
of a few short branches, with appressed, sessile, one-flowered spikelets in altemate pairs, surrounded by linear, rather
blunt, striated spathes. Scales liuear-oblong, hardly sharp.—This also is a Tasmanian aud Australian plant ; the
rush-like habit, small pamcle, and curious compressed little leaf of the sheaths distinguish it.
Gen. XV. CAEEX, A. {Auctore F. Boott, M.D., F.L.S.)
Flores diclines, amentacei; squamis uirifloris, undique imbricatis. Fl. ^ stamina 3. Fl.% in eodem
V. diverso ameuto. Perianthium (perigynium) urceolare; ore contracto, sæpe rostrato, integro v. bifido.
Stigmata 2 -3 . Nux periantliio persistente inclusa.
Tufted, grassy plants, with short or tall, generally triangular culms, and long harsh leaves, ofteu cutting at
the edges; seldom or never eaten by cattle, however similar to those of Grasses. The genus is one of the most
extensive amongst plants, and the species are found in all parts of the world, but rarely in the low countries of the
Tropics, aud most abundantly in cold regions.—Flowers unisexual, sohtaiy in the axils of imbricated scales, which
are an-anged in long or short spikes. Spikes male or female, or containing both male and female flowers, never
irregularly mixed, the flowers of each sex being together at the top, base, or middle of each spike ; generally the
upper spikes are males. Male flower of three stamens ; female of a nut with two or three stigmas enclosed in a
flagon-shaped perianth with a narrow mouth, through which the stigmas project.—Dr. Boott has had the kindness to
examine and furnish me with descriptions of all the southern Carices, and his accuracy, skill in their determination,
and critical knowledge of the genus are um-ivalled. He made the very curious remark that half the number of
New Zealand species have male flowers at the base of those spikes which are almost always, in the similai- species of
other parts of the globe, wholly female spikes, or female with male flowers at the top. Several New Zealand
species, it will be seen, are common to New Zealand, Antarctic America, and Australia. Three are European and
American, but are not found in Australia. (Name of unknown origin.)
§ a. Spike simple, with male flowers towards the top. Stigmas generally three.
1. Carex Pyrenaica, Wahl.; spica apice mascula oblonga feimginea nuda v. bracteata, stigmatibus
3 rarissime 2, perigyniis lanceolatis emarginatis ore albo membranaceo compressis enerviis stipitatis basi
pallidis squama ovata acuta v. obtusa longioribus angustioribusque.—Boott, MSS.
H a b . Northern Island; summit of the Ruahine mountains, Colenso.
A small, grassy, tufted plant, 6 inches high, found in Europe and in the Rocky Mountains of North America.
—Leaves twice as long as the culm, which bears a pale, red-brown, linear, oblong, shining spike iuch long.
Stigmas three, rarely two.
2. Carex acicularis, Boott ; spica apice mascula subrotunda involucrata, stigmatibus 3, perigyniis
lanceolatis 3-quetris acuminato rostratis ore obliquo demum fisso superne serratis stipitatis squama ovato-
lauceolata acuta (inferioribus 2 vel 3 setaceo-foliaceis) multum brevioribus vel (ad apicem spicæ) earn
æquantibus,—BooU, MSS. (Tab. L X III. C.)
H a b . Northern Island ; top of the Ruahine mountains, Colenso.
A small, wiry, rigid species, 4-6 inches high, with narrow channelled curving leaves, as long as or longer than
tbe filiform culm. Spike broad, pale brown, 4 inch long and as broad, apparently lateral, from the lowest scale being
produced much beyond it ; sometimes an inch long ; the two or three lower scales are usuaUy foliaceous, lengthened
aud subulate, hlale flowers four to six, imbricate, blunt ; females about six. Perigynium 2 lines long, ^ line
CyperaceoB?] FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND.
broad. Acleuium oblong, triquetrous, shorter than the flat linear serrate raeheola, which is green,^ femigmous at the
tip.—AUied to 0. caduca, Boott, of Euegia, which differs in having two stigmas, compressed pengynia, a lenticular
achenium, and shorter lower scales.—Plate LXIII. C. Eig. I, spike with the lower scale removed; 2, perigy-
nium; 3, achenium:—all ?
§ b. Spike compound. Spikelets androgynous. Stigmas two.
3. Carex inversa, B r.; spicuUs 2-3 (rarius 1) androgyiiis basi masculis obovatis arete contiguis
pallidis longe bracteatis, perigyniis ovalibus rostratis bidentatis superne margine acutis serratis nervosis
appressis squamam ovatam acuminatam cuspidatam subæquantibus, stigmatibus 2. Boott, MSS. Brown,
Prodr.H
a e . Northern Islands; Enaliine mountains, and marshes on the East Coast, Colenso.
A very slender species, with smooth filiform culms 6-9 inolies long, and very naiTow leaves.^ Brads unequal,
the lowest often 2-4 inches long. Spilelets one to three, crowded, pale, broadly ovate.—This is also a native of
Australia and of Tasmania.
4. Carex Colensoi, D oott-, spiculis 2 -4 androgyuis basi masculis ovalibus arote contiguis sessilibus
albo-castaneis infima (v. 2) brevi bracteata, perigyniis ovabbus ovatisve erostratis lucidis castaneis obsolete
nervatis squama ovata castanea margine albo-membranacea nervo palbdo brevioribus angustioribusque,
stigmatibus 2. BooU, MSS. (Tab. L X III. B.)
H ab . Northern Island; dry grassy plains in the interior, Colenso.
Similar to 0. imersa, but a more wiry plant, with larger, more coriaceous, brown spikelets, and shmmg chesnut
oval perigynin, that have no beak, and indistinct nerves. Culms 3-9 inches long, angles obtuse, often flexuose,
smooth or rough above. Leaves involute, shorter than the culm, iviry. Brads one or two. the lower nearly 1 inch
long. Spikeleis turgid. 3-4 lines long. H -2 broad.—P late LXIII. B. Eg. 1, spikelet ; 2, perigynium ; 3, ache-
nium ;—alV magnified.
5. Carex stelhdata, Good. ; spicGis 3-4. androgynis basi mascGis paucifloris alternis iiuGs suprema
basi clavata mascula, perigyniis ovatis acuminatis bidentatis margine serratis nervosis Gvaricatis squama
ovata acuta lougioribus, stigmatibus 2. BooU, MSS. Fngl. Bot. t. 806.
H ab . Northern Islaud; iu bogs at Lake Taupo, Colenso. (N'ative of England.)
A very common British plant, a native of boggy places throughout temperate Europe, Asia, and North ghmenca.
Gnlms a span to a foot high, very slender, with short brown spikelets, forming au interrupted ovate spike i~ l mch
long, which appears squarrose from the spreading perigynia. Spikelets few-flowered, without hracts.
** Spikelets with male Jlowers at the top.
6. Carex teretiuscula. Good.; spica oblonga subpoUicari nuda v. bracteata e spicGis androgynis
apice mascGis jiaucis ovatis sessilibus coiitignis composita, perigj-niis ovatis comco-rostratis bidentatis superne
alatis serratis plano-convexis dorso nervatis squamaiii aeutam subæquantibus, stigmatibus 2. Boott,
USS. Engl. Bot. (.1065.
IIa b . Nortbcrii Island; iu bogs at Hawke’s Bay, Colenso. (Native of England.)
This, Uke C. stellulata, is also a common plant of the north temperate zone, but has only been found m New
Zealand in the southern hemisphere. Culms very slender, a span to 2 feet high, bearing a termmal, rather dense,
linear oblong spike, ot a few crowded spikelets, whose perigynia spread as in C. stellulata.
7. Carex secta, Boott; spica androgyiia apice mascula elongata sæpe subsesquipedali decomposita
basi ramosa, ramis apertis, inferioribus elongatis superne tantum spicGiferis sæpe nutantibus, perigyniis
4 A