Flora of New Zealand Series

Lampocarya xanthocarpa Hook. f. Fl. N.Z.  1,  1853,  278.

G. ebenocarpa Hook. f. ex Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 1, ed. 2,  1875,  94.

Cladium xanthocarpum (Hook. f.) F. Muell. Fragm. Phyt. Austr.  9,  1875,  13.

G. setifolia (A. Rich.) Hook. f. var. xanthocarpa (Hook. f.) Kük. in Fedde Repert. Spec. nov. Regn. veg. 52, 1943, 70.

Original localities: "Northern Island; East Coast, Banks and Solander, Colenso; Auckland, Sinclair." Lectotype: K, Colenso 383. Recorded also from Fiji, New Hebrides and Lord Howe Id.

Very stout, with drooping panicles, forming wide, dark green clumps, 150–350 cm. high, from a woody rootstock up to 3 cm. diam. Culms c. 1 cm. diam., up to 1.5 cm. diam. at the base. Lvs = or slightly < culms, not us. over-topping the panicle; lamina harsh, margins involute, ciliate just above the transverse line demarcating the sheath from lamina, becoming scabrid higher up with a few longitudinal rows of teeth just inside margin on abaxial surface; sheaths dull, light pinkish brown, glab., up to 4 cm. wide. Panicles drooping, 60–150 cm. long, very much branched, primary branchlets up to 45 cm. long. Spikelets 2-fld, c. 8 mm. long, , densely crowded, stalked, light chestnut-brown. Glumes 6–7; outer 3–4 empty, ± equal, 7–8 mm. long; inner 3 glumes smaller, 5–6 mm. long, red-brown, or green-brown below and red-brown towards tip. Stamens 4, bright red-brown. Style-branches 3–4. Nut 5–6 × 2–3 mm., fusiform, black when fully ripe, sts slightly grooved, shortly stipitate, with a light orange-brown, obtuse, pubescent tip; endocarp transversely grooved within.

DIST.: N. Mostly north of lat. '37 30' and also south of lat. 40º. S. Nelson, Marlborough, Westland; very rare in Canterbury.

Lowland forest or bog to 420 m. altitude.

FL. 2–3.

A specimen at K, New Zealand, T. Kirk, August, 1867, labelled G. ebenocarpa in Hooker's hand agrees with the Colenso specimens on which G. xanthocarpa was based. However, Colenso's specimens are immature with cream fr., whereas Kirk's specimen has fully ripe black nuts.

Carse attached a note to a specimen of G. xanthocarpa in WELT "This species is usually confined to bush at a fair elevation. It is of frequent occurrence in kauri forests but is not uncommon in general bush."