Flora of New Zealand Series

Gaimardia minima (Kirk) Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl.  1925,  288 

non Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 491.

Pseudalepyrum minimum (Kirk) Dandy in J. Bot., Lond.  70,  1932,  331.

Type locality: Shores of Lake Brunner. Lectotype: WELT, 16318, Kirk, Mar., 1885; isotypes at AK and K.

Annual, fine-lvd, loose tufts, not cushion-forming, 1–2 cm. high, half-buried in sand. Roots ∞, fine, longer than upper part of plant. Lvs 0.5–2 cm. long, < 0.5 mm. wide, green or red-coloured, crowded at stem base; sheaths transparent, glab., not much wider than lamina. Flowering stems slightly < lvs, c. 0.5 mm. wide, bright red. Glume-like bracts 2, ± opp., ovate, papillose, the outer mucronate, almost completely enclosing the smaller obtuse one; each bract enclosing 1–(2) pseudanthia; hyaline scales 0. ♂ 1 or 0 in a pseudanthium, us. only 1 within each glume-like bract. ♀ 2–6, superposed in 2 series; styles connate at the base.

DIST.: S. Westland, Lake Brunner; Canterbury, tarn near Ashburton Gorge; Southland, Lake Te Anau, Lake Manapouri, Sandy Point near Invercargill.

In sand at water's edge of lakes and small tarns, almost completely covered by sandy mud and only the lf-tips visible.

Gaimardia minima Col. in T.N.Z.I. 22, 1890, 491 is a misidentification for Zoysia pungens see Allan in T.R.S.N.Z. 65, 1935, 222.

FL. 1–3. FT. 3–4.