“ ‘ CPeaXipne TNE T, SU S70. 
_- Ca~ sie 
Carew. | CYPERACEAE. 273 
or obscurely ribbed on the convex face, gradually narrowed into a rather 
long bidentate beak; margins sharply serrate above. Styles 3. Nut 
trigonous—Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi (1884) 446 ; Man, N.Z. Fl. 
(1906) 829; Kukenth. in Pflanzenr. Heit 38 (1909) 689. OC. Cheesemanu 
Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv (1883) 358; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. 
xvi (1884) 437. C. pleiostachys C. B. Clarke in Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 
(1906) 829. a) 
Var. pulehella C. B. Clarke in Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 829; Kukenth. L.c. 
689.—Smaller. Spikelets usually 4, the lowermost remote and basal, Utricles shorter 
and broader, ovate-oblong, often smooth ; beak shorter.—C. pulchella Berggr. in Minneskr. 
Fisiog. b, Lund. 29, t. . 20-26. q 
Var. stricta Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiv (1892) 415.—Pale whitish-green. 
Culms short, 4-8 in. high, barely half the length of the strict erect leaves. Spikelets 
and glumes shining whitish-green. Utricles larger and broader, elliptic-ovoid, pale. 
Perhaps a distinct species —Cheesem. Man. N.Z, Fl. (1906) 829. 
subsessiclis Krk <v Canse Taunt Sh ee 
Norra anp Sours Isuanps, Stewart Istanp: Not uncommon from Ahipara 
and Mangonui southwards. Var. pulchella: Bealey, Berggren! Maniototo Plain, Petrie! 
Var. stricta: Lake Tekapo, 7. F. C. Sea-level to 3500 ft. November—February. 
A very variable species, best separated from its allies by the filiform culms and 
leaves, narrow rather remote spikelets, and lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate utricles, 
sharply toothed above. I have followed Mr. C. B. Clarke in reducing Berggren’s 
C. pulchella to O. comans, the differences between the two being of no very great importance. 
In his review of Carex in the Pflanzenreich Dr. Kukenthal proposes to re-establish 
C. Cheesemanii as a variety of C. comans ; but the only difference I can find of any moment 
is that it has rather broader spikelets and longer culms—characters of no great 
value. Mr. ©. B. Clarke’s C. pleiostachys_ (accidentally misprinted C. plesiostachys in 
the Manual, p. 829) I am now convinced is only a trivial form of C. comans, 
Vtmens WD © 21 QW 
40. C. litorosa Bailey in Memoirs Torrey Club (1889) 72.— Pale-green, 
forming compact tufts. Culms densely packed, slender, erect, terete, 
grooved, quite smooth, leafy, 9-24 in. high. Leaves as long or longer 
than the culms, sheathing at the base, narrow, =4-7,in. broad, deeply 
grooved, flat or concave in front, convex behind, narrowed into long filiform 
points; margins slightly serrate above. Spikelets 3-5, the lowermost 
often remote, the others closely placed or a little distant, oblong-ovate, 
12in, long; terminal one male, slender; remainder all female, usually 
with male flowers either above or below, sessile or the lowermost shortly 
pedunculate; bracts very long and leafy. Glumes ovate, acuminate 
with a short or long awn, membranous, pale-brown ; margins often lacerate. 
Utricles as long or rather longer than the glumes, broadly ovoid, turgid, 
biconvex, smooth or obscurely nerved, reddish-brown; margins smooth ; 
beak short and stout, with 2 divergent teeth. Styles 3. Nut obovoid, 
trizonous.—Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiv (1892) 415; Man. N.Z. 
Fl. (1906) 880; Zl. N.Z. Fl, ii (1914) t. 217; Kukenth, in Pflanzenr. Heft 
38 (1909) 690. C._littoralis Petrie in Trans, NZ, Inst. xv (1883) 358 ; 
Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi (1884) 437 (not of Schwein.). . C. australis 
T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst, xxvi (1894) 262 (not of Boeck.). 
Norra anp SourH Isuanps, Stewart Isutanp: Not uncommon in brackish-water 
marshes from the Kaipara Harbour southwards. October—January. 
Distinguished from C. comans by the larger size and stouter habit, broader spikelets, 
and especially by the broader and more turgid biconvex utricles, with entire margins 
and smooth or very obscurely nerved faces. The Otago and Stewart Island specimens 
have rather larger spikelets, with male flowers at the base of the female spikelets, whereas 
they are usually at the top in northern specimens. 
