774 CYPERACER. [Scurpus. 
point, green or chestnut-brown. Stamens 3, rarely 2 orl. Style- 
branches 3, long, linear. Nut about half the length of the glume, 
trigonous, obovoid, obtuse, minutely apiculate, not longitudinally 
ribbed, the surface appearing to be minutely reticulate from the 
numerous subquadrate cells.—S. Savii, Sebast. and Mauri, Prodr. 
Fl. Rom. 22. §. riparius, Powr. Encycl. Suppl. v. 103; Benth. F1. 
Austral. vii. 327. Isolepis riparia, R. Br. Prodr. 222; Hook. f. Fl. 
Tasm. ii. 89, t. 145¢; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 302. I. setacea, Hook. f. 
Fl. Nov. Gel. i. 271, in part (not of RK. Br.). I. setosa, Raoul, 
Choiz, 40. 
NortH anp SoutH Isnanps, Stewart IsLAND, CHATHAM ISLANDS, AUCK- 
LAND AND CAMPBELL Istanps: Abundant throughout. Sea-level to 2000 ft. 
November—February. 
Nearly cosmopolitan, being found in all temperate and tropical countries 
except south-eastern Asia. In New Zealand there are two principal forms: 
one, which is usually littoral, has the stems rather stiff, the spikelets usually 
solitary and often chestnut-brown, and the nut broadly obovoid; the other 
is more slender, the spikelets are paler, and the nut much smaller, more 
elliptical, and more acutely trigonous. 
5. S. antarcticus, Linn. Mant. ii. 181.—Densely tufted, very 
variable in size, sometimes 4-14 in. high, stout, rigid, cartilaginous ; 
at other times taller and more slender, 3-6in. high or more. Leaves 
1 or several at the base of the stem and shorter than it, obtuse at 
the tip, rigid and coriaceous in the smaller forms, softer and more 
grassy in the larger ones. Heads solitary, terminal, of 1-4 spikelets 
in the small stout forms, of 3-9 in the larger ones; bracts +-1 in. 
long, usually far exceeding the head. Spikelets rather stout, ovoid- 
oblong, 4-1in. long, many-flowered. Glumes broadly ovate, boat- 
shaped with a prominent keel, obtuse or the keel produced into 
a short point, often rigid and coriaceous, pale whitish-yellow with a 
conspicuous dark chestnut-brown spot; sides broad, marked with 
prominent curved lines; back often curved. Hypogynous scales 
wanting. Stamens 3 or 2, rarely 1. Style-branches 3. Nut rather 
more than half as long as the glume, elliptic-ovoid, trigonous, acute, 
minutely punctate, white to yellow, sometimes ultimately almost 
black.—C. B. Clarke mm Fl. Cap. vii. 223. S. cartilagineus, Pozr. 
Encycl. Suppl. v.103; Benth. Fl. Austral. vu. 328. S. ebeno- 
carpus, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii. (1885) 224. Isolepis car- 
tilaginea, #. Br. Prodr. 222; Hook f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 271; #1. 
Tasm. ii. 88, t. 145; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 302. 
NortH Is~tanp: Hawke’s Bay—Colenso! A. Hamilton! Wellington— 
Karioi, Kaiwarawara, Kirk! SoutH Istanp: Nelson—Cape Farewell, Kirk ! 
Canterbury—Burnham, Kirk! Springfield, “. #. C. Otago—Catlin’s River, 
Petrie! Lake Wakatipu, Kirk! Bluff Hill, Kirk! Stewart Ispanp: Port 
Pegasus, Petrie! Kirk! Sea-level to 2000 ft. November-March. 
Also in extratropical Australia, South Africa, and St. Helena. 
