>» & 
246 CYPERACEAE, | Uncinia. 
Norts Istanp: Ruahine Mountains, Colenso ! Mount Holdsworth, W. Townson / 
Petrie! Mount Hector, Petrie! B. C. Aston! Sours Istanp: Mount Duppa (Marl- 
borough), J. H. Macmahon! Nelson—Mount Arthur Plateau, T. F. C.; Boundary 
Peak, W. Townson! Clarence Valley, 7. F.C. Canterbury—Craigieburn Mountains, 
Cockayne! Broken River, 7’. F. C. 2000-4500 ft. 
About midway between U. compacta and U. purpurata, and very close to some 
forms of the latter; but always to be distinguished by the stouter and more rigid 
habit, and longer and broader leaves. 
6. U. purpurata Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii (1885) 272.—Culms 
tufted, slender or rather stout, scabrid above, leafy at the base, 6-14 in. 
high. Leaves usually shorter than the stems but sometimes equalling 
them, flat or slightly concave, grassy, striate, 25-;;in. broad; margins 
scabrid; sheaths at the base dusky-brown. Spike #2in. long, linear- 
oblong, usually dense, continuous. Male portion short, cylindric; bract 
absent, or present and exceeding the spike. Glumes oblong or obovate, 
obtuse or subacute, dark-brown with pale scarious margins, shorter than 
the utricle. Utricle lanceolate, tapering at both ends, plano-convex, quite 
glabrous, faintly nerved, about jin. long; bristle nearly twice as long 
as the utricle-——Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 801; Kukenth. in Eflanzeny, 
Heft 38 (1909), Tras. 2 +298 Cae. subococeprign KA 
Var. robusta Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii (1885) 272.—Culms shorter and 
stouter, scabrid above. Leaves as long as the culms, ;4,in broad. 
SoutH Istanp: Otago—Not uncommon in mountain districts,. 500-2000 ft. 
This approaches very near to some states of U. caespitosa, to which I am inclined 
to refer Kukenthal’s var. subcaespitosa (Pflanzenr. Heft 38 (1909) 61). 
7. U. eaespitosa Boott in Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 287.—Culms 
tufted, slender, leafy, 6-14 in. high. Leaves longer or shorter than the culms, 
flat, grassy, very variable in width, from ,;4in. broad; margins scabrid. 
Spike 14-3in. long, narrow-oblong or almost linea?; rather dense or lax 
but not interrupted; male portion very short; bract variable, broad and 
foliaceous or narrow and setaceous. Glumes lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 
acute or acuminate, membranous, green or pale-green, usually equalling 
the utricle. Utricles about 4 in. long, oblong-lanceolate, suddenly narrowed 
above, smooth or faintly nerved; bristle about twice the length of the 
utricle—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 310; CO. B. Clarke in Journ. 
Linn. Soc. xx (1883) 393; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 801; Ill. N.Z. 
Fl. u (1914) t. 213; Kukenth. in Pflanzenr. Heft 38 (1909) 61. U. hori- 
zontalis Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv (1883) 334, 
Var. collina Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. lii (1920) 19.— Forming sward-like 
patches. Culms and leaves shorter than in the type, the latter flat, grassy, thickened 
at the tips. Spikes dense-flowered, often subclavate. 
Var. minor Kukenth. in Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 802.—Smaller and more 
slender. Leaves narrower. Spike shorter, much more slender.—Pflanzenr. Heft 38 
(1909) 61. 
NortH AND Sours Istanps, Stewart Istanp: In hilly or mountainous localities 
from Hokianga southwards, not uncommon. Sea-level to 4000 ft. November- 
January. Var. collina: Mount Hikurangi, Petrie and Adams! Ruahine Mountains, 
B, C. Aston! Tararua Mountains, Petrie/ 
An exceedingly variable plant, forms of which are not separated by any strict 
line of demarcation from U. purpurata, U. riparia, U. rupestris, and U. filiformis. 
Its chief characters are the rather broad flat leaves, not very lax narrow-oblong spike, 
pale-green glumes which are usually as long as the utricles or nearly so, and rather 
large oblong-lanceolate acuminate utricles, averaging 4in. long. 
