Flora of New Zealand Series

 C. picta Col. in T.N.Z.I. 21, 1889, 103 non Steud. Syn. Pl. glum. 2, 1855, 184.

Original locality: "Northern Island; dry grassy plains in the interior, Colenso." Lectotype: K, Dry plains, road to Manawarakau from Patangata (Hawke's Bay), Colenso 1088; isotype at WELT.

In distinct light green patches of slender tufts from a long-creeping rhizome. Rhizome 2–3 mm. diam., woody, often much branched and knotted, with shoots spaced singly and evenly along it, 1–1.5 mm. diam. at base. Culms rather variable in height, 4–25–(45) cm. × c. 0.5 mm., trigonous, flaccid, glab.; basal sheaths cream, grey, or light brown. Lvs us. < culms, occ. = or > culms, 0.5–1.5 mm. wide, soft, grasslike, channelled, occ. almost flat, margins minutely serrulate just below trigonous tip. Infl. 1–1.5 cm. long, of 1–4 clustered, shortly-peduncled, chestnut-brown spikes, subtended by a green, filiform, lf-like bract, much > infl., with margins minutely serrulate. Spikes androgynous, 7–10 × (2)–4–5 mm., ovoid, male fls at the base. Glumes = or slightly > utricles, ovate, subacute, brown, with a broad green midrib and broad silver hyaline margins. Utricles 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm., plano-convex, occ. almost subtrigonous when mature, brown, shining, with nerves not distinct, margin of upper part finely scabrid; beak hardly developed, c. 0.5 mm. long; stipe c. 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut c. 1.5 mm. long, ± biconvex, elliptic-oblong to orbicular, brown with a distinct stipe c. 0.2 mm. long.

DIST.: N. Southwards from lat. 39º. S. Common in short-tussock grassland, 30–1,300 m. altitude; not recorded from Westland and Fiordland.

C. picta Col. was based on plants "half-concealed among low herbage, open grassy plains at Tahoraiti, south of Dannevirke, County of Waipawa; 1887: W.C." Type: WELT, 21768, Dannevirke, W. Colenso, 1887; isotypes at AK and K.

Although C. colensoi is us. found above 200 m. altitude it descends to lower levels e.g. on the Port Hills, near Christchurch and on the Canterbury Plains (at Killinchy, CHR 183574). In the Armstrong Herb. at CANTY there is also a specimen from Hagley Park, Christchurch, J. B. Armstrong, 1880.

The very slender culms topped by relatively large infls composed of 1–4 clustered brown spikes are characteristic of this sp.