270 Transactions. — Botany. 



entangled. Its extreme softness and tenderness (for a rush), its 

 great length, and its prostrate habit, led me to suspect its being 

 a species nova when I first saw it ; but at that time (winter) I 

 could not procure any good specimens. Through its being so 

 soft and tender it is much browsed on and trampled by cattle, 

 so that it is rather dilBficult to obtain whole and perfect speci- 

 mens. Hitherto I have only noticed it growing in that one 

 undisturbed forest swamp, where, however, it is plentiful. 



Obder XI.— CYPERACE^. 

 Genus 13. Uncinia, Persoon. 



1. U. polyneura, s^.nov. 



Plant perennial, clear green, densely caBspitose, forming 

 large bushy tufts, with numerous brown ovate bracts at base, 

 deeply costate. Culms erect, 20 inches long, smooth, unequally 

 triquetrous, the upper portion channelled on the two narrower 

 sides ; usually with 4 sheathing leaves nearly together at base, 

 Leaves sub-erect and drooping, linear, long and narrow, 22 

 inches long, 2 lines wide, very acuminate ; tips obtuse, thickened 

 and very closely serrulate ; thek bases much sulcated ; striae 

 broad, smooth, dark-brown ; the upper surface glabrous, regu- 

 larly striate, many and finely nerved (sub 24), with 3-5 stout 

 whitish nerves equidistant between mid-rib and margin on each 

 side ; the lower surface finely scabrid ; mid-rib narrow, smooth, 

 slightly keeled in upper portion but very prominently so in the 

 lower ; margins closely serrulate ; vagina entire, crescent-shaped, 

 membranous ; ligula small, sub-lunate, extending from midrib 

 to margin. Spikelet 5-6 inches long, rather slender, lax ; the 

 upper 1^ inches male, dark-brown, cylindrical %nd narrow ; the 

 denticulation of rhachis very deep, with raised and thickened 

 edges ; bract 0. Glumes closely imbricate, nearly 2^ lines long, 

 narrow, ovate-acuminate, obtuse, margin of tip irregular {sub 

 lente), dark-brown, obscurely striped, striate and prominently 

 so at sides. Utricle 2^ lines long, a little longer than the 

 glume, narrow, spindle-shaped, dark blackish-brown, glossy; 

 bristle 2 lines long, slender, pale, much thickened and rugulose 

 at the curve, tip of hook reflexed. Stigmas 3, long, lax, very 

 shaggy, dark-brown. 



Hah. Edges of forests and glades near Norsewood, County 

 ofWaipawa; 1886: W.C. 



Ohs. This plant in its general appearance has some affinity 

 with U. alopecuroides, Col.,* but differs in the culms being twice 

 as long, differently angled, smooth, and bractless ; in the leaves 

 not being scabrid on both surfaces, and the midrib smooth ; in 



• " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xv., p. 335. 



