828 CYPERACEZ. (Carex. 
35. C. Dallii, 7. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvi. (1894) 261.— 
Small, slender, laxly tufted, usually reddish-brown. Culms very 
slender, smooth, grooved, 4-10 in. high. Leaves shorter than the 
culms or almost equalling them, sheathing at the base, narrow, 
3g-7's In. broad, concave in front, convex behind, grooved, narrowed 
into long filiform points; margins slightly scabrid above. Spikelets 
3-5, narrow, +2 in. long, more or less distant, the lowermost often 
almost basal, dark red-brown; terminal one male, slender; re- 
mainder all female, sometimes with a few male flowers below, 
sessile except the lowest, which is on a long filiform peduncle; 
bracts long, leafy. Glumes ovate, acuminate or slightly awned, 
membranous, reddish-brown. Utricles narrow-ovoid, obscurely 
trigonous, smooth or faintly nerved, dark purplish-black; margins 
entire; beak sharply 2-toothed. Styles 3. Nut trigonous.—C. 
Traversii, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvi. (1894) 262. 
SoutH Istanp: Nelson—Source of the Heaphy River, Dall! Dun Moun- 
tain, H. H. Travers ! 2500-4000 ft. December-- February. 
I cannot see upon what grounds Mr. Kirk’s C. Traversii can be separated 
from Dall’s Heaphy River specimens. Both are very near to C. Petriei, princi- 
pally differing in the more slender habit, more distant spikelets, the lowermost 
one almost basal, darker glumes, and rather narrower utricles. 
36. C. Petriei, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 413.— 
Densely tufted, usually brownish-red. Culms stout or rather 
slender, quite smooth, deeply grooved, leafy, 5-15in. high. Leaves 
numerous, longer or shorter than the culms, broad and sheathing at 
the base, blade narrow, z1,—;4, in. broad, deeply grooved, concave in 
front, convex behind, narrowed into long slender points that are 
usually curled and twisted when dry; margins scabrid. Spikelets 
3-5, narrow-oblong, 4? in. long, more or less approximate but not 
closely so, the lower one often remote; terminal one male, slender ; 
remainder all female, sometimes with a few male flowers at the 
base, all stalked, but the stalks of the upper ones sometimes very 
short; bracts long, leafy. Glumes ovate, acute or shortly cuspi- 
date, thin and membranous, pale, often almost white, but usually 
more or less stained with chestnut, rarely chestnut-brown; margins 
often lacerate. Utricles longer than the glumes, narrow-ovoid or 
elliptic-oblong, biconvex, rather turgid, smooth or obscurely uerved, 
shining, dark purplish-brown or almost black ; margins entire ; beak 
short, 2-toothed. Styles 3. Nut elliptic, trigonous. 
SourH Isnanp: Not uncommon in mountain districts, from Nelson to the 
south of Otago. 2000-5000 ft. December-February. 
Characterized by the broad sheathing-base of the leaves, and their fine 
curled and twisted points; by the rather small and narrow spikelets, all of 
which are stalked, and the lower on filiform peduncles; by the usually pale- 
coloured glumes; and by the narrow-ovoid or elliptic turgid utricles, which are 
dark purplish- brown or almost black. 
