‘Carex.} CYPERACEA. 813 
Easily distinguished by the strict whitish-green culms and leaves, almost 
dicecious inflorescence, and long and narrow utricles. It and C. kaloides are 
close allies of the North American and north Asiatic C. siccata, Dewey. 
7. C. kaloides, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. (1881) 332.— 
Pale-green, forming tussocks very similar to those of Poa aus- 
tralis. Culms densely tufted, slender, drooping at the tips, ob- 
tusely trigonous, grooved, smooth, leafy towards the base, 1-3 ft. 
high. Leaves shorter than the culms, ;,-4in. broad, flat or in- 
volute, grassy, deeply grooved; margins scabrid above. Inflores- 
cence in small specimens forming a lax linear spike 3-5in. long; 
in larger ones a panicle 4—9in.; branches few, the lowest some- 
times 2in. long. Spikelets +-+in. long, numerous, usually rather 
distant, pale, few-flowered, either androgynous with the male 
flowers at the top, or some (usually the upper) wholly male; and 
others (usually the lower) wholly female ; bracts very long, folia- 
ceous, often exceeding the panicle. Glumes ovate-lanceolate, long- 
acuminate, membranous, pale, almost hyaline. Utricle narrow- 
lanceolate, narrowed at the base, plano-convex, nerved, gradually 
tapering upwards into a long subulate bidentate beak, the margins 
of which are ciliate-serrate. Styles 2. Nut dark-brown, oblong, 
lenticular —Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 429. 
SourH Is~tanpD: Not uncommon in mountain districts throughout. 
800-3500 ft. December—February. 
Closely allied to the preceding species, but amply distinct in the larger 
size and coarser habit, broader flatter leaves, and usually paniculate inflores- 
cence. 
8. C. teretiuscula, Good. in Trans. Linn. Soe. ii. (1794) 163.— 
Rhizome creeping and rooting. Culms laxly tufted, not forming 
dense tussocks, 1—2ft. high, slender, wiry, triquetrous, grooved, 
scabrid above. Leaves shorter than the culms, 4,-;4,in. broad, 
flat, grassy, deeply grooved; margins scabrid. Spikelets small, 
ovoid, few-flowered, androgynous, male flowers few at the top, 
brown or brownish-green, collected into a linear-oblong or linear 
dense or interrupted compound spike #-1}in. long; bract usually 
obsolete. Glumes almost equalling the utricles, ovate, acute, mem- 
branous, pale-brown; margins broad, pale. Utricle rather small, 
shortly stipitate, ovoid, gibbous or almost cordate at the base, 
plano-convex or unequally biconvex, brown, shining, smooth on the 
flat face, more or less distinctly ribbed on the convex side, nar- 
rowed into a rather long almost winged serrate bidentate beak. 
Styles 2. Nut obovoid, biconvex.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 281; 
Handb. N.Z. Fl. 313; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 427. 
NortH IsuaAnD: Swampy places from Lake Taupo southwards, not ¢om- 
mon. SourH Isntanp: Abundant throughout. Sea-level to 3000 ft. De- 
cember—March. 
