Flora of New Zealand Series

U. rupestris Raoul var. capillacea Kük. in Pflanzenr. 38, 1909, 64.

Original localities: "Northern Island; top of the Ruahine mountains, Colenso. Middle Island, Lyall. Type: K, Ruahine Mountains, Colenso 1641. Also recorded from the Philippines.

Slender tufts. Culms (5)–10–30 cm. long, < 0.5 mm. wide, glab.; basal bracts red-brown with paler striations. Lvs 4–6–(7) per culm, < mature culms, us. < 0.5 mm. wide, deeply channelled or flat with a distinct groove, bright green, glab. at the base, scabrid towards the long-tapering, fine tip. Spike 2–3 cm. × 2–3 mm., female fls c. 10, internodes 2–3 mm. long, sts up to 4 mm. at base of spike with distant fls. Glumes = or < utricles, deciduous, lanceolate, acute, membr. with green midrib. Utricles 3.5–4.5–(5) × c. 1 mm., trigonous, light greenish brown, lateral nerves prominent, somewhat spreading when ripe, stipe and beak c. 1 mm. long.

DIST.: N. Southwards from c. lat. 37º. S. Nelson, Westland, Fiordland and Southland; in Canterbury along centre of main divide. St.

Forest from 300–1,200 m. altitude, descends to c. 30 m. in Fiordland.

U. rupestris var. capillacea Kük. was based on specimens from "Südinsel, Nelson, Mt Arthur-Plateau (Cheeseman!), Otago (Petrie in herb. Cockayne n. 7827!); Stewart Insel (Kirk!)." Hamlin (1959, p. 44) selected as lectotype, WELT, 2798, Clinton Valley, Lake Te Anau, in bush, Petrie no. 7827 in Herb. Cockayne, Jan., 1892; isotype at CANTY.

U. filiformis may be distinguished from U. angustifolia by its narrower lvs. The light-coloured striations on the basal bracts of the culm distinguish U. filiformis from all other N.Z. spp. of Uncinia.