782 CYPERACES. [Schenus. 
NortH Isnranp: Auckland—Swamps at Whangarei and between the 
Manukau Harbour and the Waikato River, H. Carse! Papatoetoe, Kirk! 
Taranaki—Ngaire Swamp, 7’. Ff. C. January—March. 
This seems to have been confounded with S. pauciflorus, but differs from 
that species in the shorter leaves, longer panicle with numerous spikelets, in the 
absence of bristles, and in the nut. It is probably common in lowland swamps. 
4. S. paucifiorus, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fil. 298.— Bhizome 
short, stout, branched at the tip. Stems densely tufted, very 
slender, deeply grooved, 1-3 ft. high, green or purplish-red. 
Leaves reduced to 2-4 dark chestnut-brown or almost black 
sheaths at the base of the stem, the uppermost of which is pro- 
duced into an erect almost filiform lamina 1-3 in. long; the mouths 
of the sheaths oblique, glabrous. Panicle small, #—-2in. long, of 
2-8 spikelets; bracts usually 2, overtopping the panicle. Spikelets 
lanceolate, compressed, +in. long, 2—4-flowered, varying in colour 
from whitish to dark chestnut-brown. Glumes 4-6, distichous, 
ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, keeled, nerveless except the midrib ; 
margins glabrous; the 3 outer slightly smaller, empty. Hypogy- 
nous bristles 6, filiform, almost equalling the style. Stamens 3. 
Style-branches 3. Nut elliptic-oblong, trigonous with the angles 
thickened, smooth, polished, pale-brown.—Cheetospora paucifiora, 
Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 278. 
NortH anp SoutH IsnLANnDs, STEWART IsLAND: An abundant mountain- 
plant from Lake Taupo southwards. 1500-5000 ft. December—March. 
This hardly differs from the Chilian Chetospora antarctica, Hook. f-; 
except in the much shorter leaves. 
5. S. axillaris, Poir. Encycl. Suppl. ii. 251.—Stems very slender, 
pale-green, flaccid, leafy, branched, creeping or diffusely spreading, 
often intricate, 2-6 in. long or more. Leaves alternate, spreading, 
4-1in. long, very narrow-linear, obtuse, flat or nearly so, flaccid. 
Spikelets 1-3 together in the axils of the leaves, sessile or shortly 
peduncled, about ;4,1n. long, compressed, pale-brown, 1—2-flowered. 
Glumes distichous, lanceolate, subacute, keeled ; the 2 or 3 outer 
empty and smaller. Hypogynous bristles 6, rarely fewer, longer 
than the nut. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3. Nut very small, 
elliptic-obovoid, obtusely trigonous, quite smooth, white or greyish- 
white.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 298; Benth. Fl. Austral. yi. 375. 
Cheetospora axillaris, &. Br. Prodr. 233; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 1. 
274, t. 62a; Fl. Tasm. li. 82. Scirpus foliatus, Hook. f. an Lond. 
Journ. Bot. ii. 1844, 414. 
NortH AND SoutH IsLanps, STEwarT IsLaAND, CHATHAM IsLANDS: From 
the North Cape southwards, abundant in the North Island, less plentiful in the 
South Island. Sea-level to 2500 ft. November—March. 
Easily recognised by the slender creeping or diffuse habit, leafy stems, 
spikelets in twos or threes in the axils of the leaves, and small white nut. 
Also common in extratropical Australia and Tasmania. 
