Cheeseman. — On recent Additions to Flora of New Zealand. 801 



Hab. Swamps iu the Eangipo desert, eastern base of Ruapehu ; Mr. 

 H. Tryon. 



Of this plant I have only received three small specimens. 'So far as 

 these go, they correspond exactly with the description and plate in the 

 Flora of Tasmania, and with Bentham's description in the Flora Australi- 

 ensis ; and at present I have no reason whatever to doubt the identifica- 

 tion. A full series of specimens will be required, however, before the 

 matter can be absolutely settled. The species is more nearly allied to 

 S. fluitans than to any other of our New Zealand forms, but differs in being 

 stouter, apparently not so much branched, and in the very much larger 

 spikelet. Mr. Tryon informs me that it is not uncommon in ferruginous 

 swamps in the Rangipo desert, associated with Scirpus cartilagineus, Pratia 

 angulata, Drosera arcturi and D. spathulata, Gunner a prorepens ? , and 

 Utricularia monanthos. 



6. Car ex devia, n. sp. 



Calms 9-18 inches high, smooth or nearly so, hardly tufted, leafy at the 

 base only. Leaves shorter than the culms, very coriaceous, rigid, keeled, 

 strongly grooved, Y^~i inch diameter ; margins scabrid. LoAver bract long 

 and leafy, rest small. Spikelets 2-4 ; terminal one the largest, male, or 

 very rarely with a few female flowers at the base, stout, clavate, f- 1£ 

 inch long ; remainder all female, variable in size, -J — 1^ inch long, erect, 

 oblong or cylindric, upper sessile, lower very shortly pedunculate, in small 

 specimens often closely approximate, in larger ones more distant, dark 

 chestnut-brown or rarely blackish-brown. Glumes dark rich brown with a 

 green centre, ovate, acute, emarginate or shortly bifid, the midrib produced 

 into a hispid awn of varying length. Perigynia rather longer than the 

 glumes, dark purplish-black, ovate or elliptic, compressed, unequally 

 biconvex or nearly plano-convex, strongly nerved and wrinkled, margins 

 entire ; beak short, broad, terminated by two widely divergent teeth. 

 Stigmas two. 



Hab. Mountain districts in Nelson, not uncommon above 2,500 feet 

 altitude. 



This appears to be a very distinct species, and when once noticed can- 

 not be confounded with any other. It may be readily identified by its 

 seldom forming tufts, by its rigid and coriaceous grooved leaves, very 

 stout clavate male spikelets, and by the broad conspicuously grooved and 

 wrinkled perigynia. 



