416 Transactions. — Botany. 



clearly referable to Boott's C. raoulii, a species which has been much mis- 

 understood. The remaining seven appear to be perfectly distinct. Lastly, 

 in volumes xiv. to xvi. of the Transactions, I have given notices of seven 

 additions. Further examination has led me to doubt the distinctness of 

 one of them, C. cinnamomea, but I think that the rest will be generally 

 admitted. 



To those who have not previously studied the genus, the following 

 resume of its general characters will be of some service. Of course it will 

 be understood that the remarks made refer to the New Zealand species 

 only. 



Size, etc. — In size the species vary from little more than an inch or two 

 in height, as in small varieties of C. adcularis, C. inversa, C. cirrhosa, and 

 C. uncifolia, to four or even five feet, as in large forms of C. paniculata, 0. 

 ternaria, and C. trifida. In habit most of the species form compact, close- 

 growing tufts, very similar to those of many other Cyperaceous plants, but 

 usually more grassy. A few have a looser and more open habit of growth. 



Rhizome. — All the species are furnished with a rhizome or creeping 

 stem, clothed with rudimentary scale-like leaves, and on its lower side 

 giving origin to the roots, while from its upper surface it throws up the 

 culms or leafy branches. In C. pumila it is long and wide-creeping, and in 

 consequence the cidrns are often far distant from one another. Some ten- 

 dency to this is also shown by C. inversa, and in a lesser degree by (7. 

 colensoi ; but in the other species, as a rule, the rhizome is short, though 

 often stout and repeatedly branched. In the varieties of G. paniculata, the 

 rhizomes are often matted together, growing under and over one another, 

 and forming, with the roots and the lower portions of the old culms, huge 

 tussocks resembling the stems of tree-ferns, and sometimes three to four 

 feet high, and one to two feet in diameter. Similar but much smaller 

 tussocks are sometimes produced by C. subdola and other species. 



Culms. — These ascend vertically upwards from the rhizome, and except 

 in the above-mentioued case of C. pumila are usually placed in close juxta- 

 position, forming tufts more or less dense. They are unbranched in all the 

 New Zealand species. In section they are commonly trigonous or tri- 

 quetrous ; but in a few species are round, as in 0. adcularis, or oval, as in 

 C. viridis. They are usually grooved or striated, and the edges are very 

 frequently scabrid with small harsh projections, but may be quite smooth 

 and even. 



Leaves. — At the very base of the culms we frequently find a number of 

 small scale-like leaves, very similar to those clothing the rhizome, and gene- 

 rally of a dark colour. These pass abruptly or gradually into the foliage 

 leaves, of which there are two main types. First, that in which the leaf is 



