Scirpus. | CYPERACES. ad 
Prodr. 221; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 104; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 272; 
Faoul, Choix, 40; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 270; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 301. 
Kermapec Isuanps, Norra anp SovurH Isuanps, Srewartr IsLAND, 
CuatHam Isnanps : Abundant throughout. Sea-level to 2000 ft. Novem- 
ber—February. 
Also found in Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, temperate Australia, 
extratropical South Africa, St. Helena and Amsterdam Islands, and temperate 
South America. 
10. S. frondosus, Banks and Sol. ex Boeck. in Flora, 1xi. (1878) 
141.—Stout, rgid, harsh, yellow-green, 2-3ft. high. Rhizome 
thick, woody, creeping, often many feet in length. Stems many 
along the rhizome, stout, erect, obtusely trigonous, leafy at the 
base. eaves very numerous, spreading, often curved, rigidly 
coriaceous, channelled above, keeled beneath, gradually narrowed 
into long trigonous points, at the base expanded into broad mem- 
branous sheaths ; margins and keel sharply denticulate. Inflores- 
cence 3-9in. long or more, of linear clusters of densely crowded 
sessile spikelets arranged in a spiral manner around the upper part 
of the stem, each cluster subtended by a rigid iinear bract similar 
to the leaves. Spikelets red-brown, almost globose, about +in. 
long, many-flowered. Glumes broadly ovate, obtuse, concave, 
shining, striate. Hypogynous bristles wanting. Stamens 3; 
anthers with a long awn. Style-branches 3. Nut broadly obo- 
void, compressed, quite smooth.—Isolepis spiralis, A. Rich. Fl. 
Nouv. Zel. 105, t. 19; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 274; Raoul, Choix, 40. 
Desmoscheenus spiralis, Hook. f. F'l. Nov. Zel. i. 272; Handb. N.Z. 
fi. 303. Anthophyllum Urvillei, Steud. Cyp. 160. 
NortH AnD SoutH Is~tanps, CHATHAM IsLANDS: Abundant on sand-dunes 
from the North Cape to Otago. Pingao. November—February. 
The leaves were formerly used by the Maoris for making kits, and occa- 
sionally for cloaks, which were said to be very durable. 
11. S. americanus, Pers. Syn.i.68.—Rhizome creeping. Stems 
rather slender, 1-2 ft. high, acutely trigonous. Leaves 1-4, always 
shorter than the stem; sheaths long. Head small, of 1-4 closely 
compacted sessile spikelets; bract 1-2in. long, erect, angular, con- 
tinuous with the stem so that the head appears lateral. Spikelets 
broadly ovoid, +-4in. long, dark-brown, many-flowered. Glumes 
broadly ovate, membranous, concave, tip emarginate with usually 
a short awn in the notch, margins scarious above. Hypogynous 
bristles 4-6, shorter than the nut. Stamens 3. Style-branches 
2-3. Nut rather large, 2 the length of the glume, obovoid, plano- 
convex, pale-brown, smooth.—S8. pungens, Vahl. Enwm. ii. 255; 
Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 333. S. triqueter, R. Br. Prodr. 223; Hook. 
jf. Hi. Nov. Zel. 1. 269; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 300 (not of Linn.). .8. 
nove-zealandiz, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xviii. (1886) 277. 
