Abstracts, 123 



« 



5. U. purpurala, Petrie. 



The following two varieties are describc^d : var. /3 robusia, IVlrie in Traus. N.Z- 

 Inst, xvii (1885) 272, and var. subccespUosa, Kiikenlli., var. nov., witli slender onims, 

 narro^^• leaves exceeding the culms, and acute glumes pah^r tliaii those of the typo. 

 (Habitat : Mount Cook, Gheeseman ; Old Jlan Range, Otago, Petrie in Herb. Coekaj^ne, 

 No. 7821.) 



6. U. purpurata, Petrie, var. jiisco-vaginata. 



This is considered a v^alid species under the name U. fusco-vayiuata. Kiikentli. Otlier 

 synonyms are : U. compacta, var. divaricata, Hook. f. in part ; U. cumpacta, \ar. y 

 viridis, C. B. Clarke. 



7. U. caespitosa, Boott. 



This is cited as U. ccespitosa, Colenso, ex Boott in Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zelaud 



8. U. australis, Pers. 



The name as above is changed by the iiilv of priority to U. uiiriiidid ( L. f.), Kiikenthal, 

 llie plant being origiutiiiy described by the younger Linnaeus as Cartx uncinata. (Suppl., 

 1781. p. 413.) 



i). U. leptostachya, Raoid. 



U. disUms, Boott, is treated as a variety of this species (var. distuns (Boott), 

 Kiikenth.): spike flexuous, extremely lax flowered. 



10. U. riparia, R. Br. 



Besides the var. Banksii (Boott), C. B. Clarke, of Cheeseman's Manual. U. Haokeri, 

 Boott. which is given as a .sjaionym for U. rupestris, Raoid. by Clieeseman. is refeiied 

 to this species as var. Hookeri (Boott), Kiikentli. Cheeseman, liowover (Manual, 

 p. 805), remarks of U. rupestris that it is " n\uch too closely allied to U. rip(iriu." 



A var. y affinis, Colenso (syn., U. laxi flora, Petrie) is also described. 



Besides New Zealand, the typo occurs in New Cuinea. East Australia. Tasmania, 

 and Lord Howe Island ; var. Hookeri in New Guinea ; wliile vars. ajjiihis and Bnnknii 

 are endemic. 



11. V. rubra, Boott. 



The name of var. rigida (Petrie), Cheesem., is changed to var. p strictissimu , 

 Kiikentli., the name rigida having been given to another valid s]iecies in 1885. A new 

 var. fnUnx. Kiikenth., is created which has more slender culms than the tyi)e, leaves 

 exceeding the culms, flat, 2 mm. broad and not so rigid, and which is said to be a tran- 

 sitional stage towards U. riparia. 



12. V. rupestris, Raoixl. 



As seen above (see No. 3), the author does not consider the plant thus designated 

 by Cheeseman as the true U. rupestris, Raoul, but refers it to U. Hookeri, Boott (sec 

 No. 10). 



13. U. filiformis, Boott. 



The author excludes U. debilior, F. Muell., of Lord Howe Island, from this species, 

 including it in U. riparia, R. Br. 



14. One new species, Uncinia pediceUata . Kiikenthal. is described as follows : — 



" Rhizoma laxe caespito.sum. Culmus 35-50 cm. altus sti'ictus gracilis triqueter 

 laevis. Folia cidmo breviora 2-3 mm. lata plana rubra rigida. S])icula lineai'i-cylindrica 

 10-14 cm. longa 3 mm. lata densiflora in partem j 2 cm. longam sensim desiiaens sa-pe 

 bracteata. Squamae ? oblongo-ovatae obtusiusculae spadicae clarius carinat^ marginibus 

 angustse albse. ITtriculi squamas ^ superantes suberecti elli])soidei fere 5 mm. longi 

 bnmnei glabri obsoletissime nervosi, I)asi spongiosa in stipitem longum attenuati, 

 in rostrum mediocre sensim abeuntes. Nux oblongo-ovata apiee aimulata. Slyli 

 basis incrassata. Rhacheola utricidum duplo superans." 



New Zealand : Forest on Rua]mke Island, in Foveaux Strait (Cockayne, No. 7807 !). 

 [This is the common species of the Stewart Island forest.] 



Genus Cakex. 



The greater jiart of the monograph is devoted to the genus Carex. of \\'hicii 798 

 species and a considerable number of hybrids are recognised. The genus is subdivided 

 into four subgenera, and these again into sixty-nine sections. A table siiows tlie geo- 

 graphical distribution of the species according to the subgenera and sections. Regarding 

 the New Zealand species the author wi-ites, " The flora of New Zealand bears an alto- 



