Plate 209.— SCHCENUS CARSEJ. 



Family CYPERACEiE.] [Genus SCHCENUS, Linn. 



Schoenus Carsei, Vheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 781. 



The discovery of this interesting species is due to Mr. H. Carse, now a resident 

 of Mongomii County, and well known as an active and zealous botanist. His first 

 specimens were collected between Mauku and the southern shore of the Manukau 

 Harbour, but he subsequently observed it in some quantity at Whangarei. On 

 communicating some of Mr. Carse's specimens to the late Mr. C. B. Clarke, he 

 informed me that the species was certainly distinct, but that there were examples 

 of it in the Kew Herbarium, collected by Mr. T. Kirk in 1863 in swamps at 

 Papatoetoe, near Auckland, and that these had been erroneously referred by Sir 

 J. D. Hooker to the closely allied S. pauciflorus. A search in my own herbarium 

 also disclosed some immature specimens collected by myself in the Ngaire Swamp, 

 Taranaki. Quite recently it has been gathered by Mr. P. H. Allen in swamps by 

 the Waitoa River, Thames Valley, and I cannot doubt but that it will be found 

 to be plentiful in lowland swamps in the northern half of the North Island. 



The nearest ally of <S. Carsei is undoubtedly Hooker's S. pauciflorus. But 

 it differs from that species in the much more slender habit, shorter leaves, much 

 longer panicle with more numerous spikelets, by the bristles being either absent 

 or very small, and in the white oblong nut. which is not at all trigonous, as is always 

 the case in S. pauciflorus. The latter species differs also in its distribution, for 

 it is either found in mountain districts or in the extreme south of the Dominion. 

 In the Manual I stated that *S. Carsei had no hypogynous bristles, but I find that 

 three minute ones are generally present, as shown in fig. 4 of the accompanying 

 plate. In S. pauciflorus the scales are long, almost equalling the style. 



I'late 209. Schceiiut! Cai/iei, drawn fri>iu speciiueus collected, by ilr. H. Car.se at. .Mauiigatapere, 

 Whangarei. Fig. 1, section of stem ; 2, spikelet ; 3, the same with the glumes removed ; 4, filameuts 

 and the minute hypogynous bristles ; 5, anther ; 6, ovary and style- branches ; 7, ripe nut. (All 

 enlarged.) 



