Flora of New Zealand Series

G. hectori Kirk in T.N.Z.I.  9,  1877,  551.

G. scaberula Col. in T.N.Z.I.  18,  1886,  278.

G. parviflora Col. in T.N.Z.I.  18,  1886,  279.

G. exigua Col. in T.N.Z.I.  18,  1886,  279.

G. multiglumis Col. in T.N.Z.I.  18,  1886,  280.

Original locality: Great Barrier Id, Kirk.

Bright green clumps of moderate circumference from a short rootstock. Culms 60–90–(180) cm. × 2–3 mm. (up to 8 mm. diam. at base), occ. with a single longitudinal groove. Lvs ± = culms; sheaths up to 11 cm. long, dull brown; lamina narrow-linear, up to 1.2 cm. wide, scabrid abaxially, margins ± involute, strongly scabrid. Panicle 45–70–(120) cm. long, drooping, branchlets comparatively few, about 3–5, in ± distant clusters at each node, up to 20 cm. long; secondary branchlets with few spikelets. Spikelets 2-fld, 6–9 mm. long, not clustered, shortly stalked or sessile. Glumes 6–8–(10), dark brown, rather stiff; the lower 3–6 empty, their size increasing up the spikelet; upper 3–4 glumes enclosing fr. Stamens 4–(5). Style-branches 3–4. Nut 5.5–7 × 2–3 mm., fusiform, subtrigonous, often grooved, brownish orange, or sometimes yellow-cream, tip black, subacute, narrowed to the width of the ± persistent style-base, occ. scaberulous; endocarp transversely grooved within.

DIST.: N. Throughout. S. Nelson, Marlborough, rare in Westland and Canterbury and not found south of lat. 44º.

Forest from sea level to 750 m. altitude.

FL. 10–12.

No Kirk specimens from Great Barrier Id have been found but in 1870 Kirk sent two specimens to K, one labelled "Gahnia n.s., Auckland N.Z." which agrees with later specimens identified by Kirk as G. pauciflora, the other specimen was labelled G. setifolia and was sent for comparison with the new species.

G. hectori Kirk was based on specimens from "North Island; not unfrequent: Auckland, Wellington, etc. South Island: Westland, Buller Valley, etc." WELT 21134, near Marsden, Westland, T. Kirk, Feb., 1877, is a good specimen labelled G. hectori by Kirk. Under his description of G. hectori Kirk notes "This species is the G. pauciflora of my list of Auckland plants" (see T.N.Z.I. 3, 1871, 156). Perhaps Kirk did not regard G. pauciflora as validly published for his original description was only very brief.

G. scaberula Col. was described from "dry spots, margins of forests, Seventy-mile Bush, County of Waipawa; 1880–85: W.C." K 66, labelled G. scaberula in Colenso's hand, has a slender infl. and light brown fr. c. 5.5 × 2.5 mm. with short, dark pointed tip.

G. parviflora Col. was based on plants "scattered among low bushes and small shrubs, dry hills near the bridge over the River Whakaruatapu, Seventy-mile Bush, County of Waipawa; 1881: W.C." K 64, labelled G. parviflora in Colenso's hand, has a slender infl. and unripe fr. 5.5 × c. 3 mm., pale yellow with a dark tip.

G. exigua Col. was described from "among shrubs, etc., on dry spurs of hills near Matamau, Country of Waipawa; 1882: W.C." K 29, labelled G. exigua by Colenso has young fls and a long slender infl. It was labelled G. rigida by C. B. Clarke and G. pauciflora by Benl. Although it is too immature to identify with certainty, the infl. is inclined to droop and so resembles G. pauciflora rather than G. rigida with its stiff infl.

G. multiglumis Col. was described from "dry Fagus forests near Norsewood, County of Waipawa; 1885: W.C." K 65, labelled G. multiglumis in Colenso's hand, has a slender infl. and fr. still pale and unripe, 5 × 3 mm.