Flora of New Zealand Series

U. caespitosa Boott var. viridis (C. B. Clarke) Hamlin in Bull. Dom. Mus., Wellington 19, 1959, 52.

U. compacta R.Br. var. viridis C. B. Clarke in J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 20, 1883, 395.

Type: K, Ruahine Mountains, Colenso 1640.

Laxly caespitose to shortly rhizomatous. Culms 2–15–(25) cm. long, us. < 1 mm. diam., glab.; basal bracts dull yellow-brown to dark brown. Lvs 7–8 per culm, = or < culms, 1.5–2 mm. wide, channelled, rather rigid, curving downwards, coriac., bright green, shining, scabrid on margins and adaxial surface. Spikes 1.5–3–(5) cm. × 3–4 mm., rarely bracteate, female fls 5–15, rather close-set, internodes 1–2 mm. long. Glumes > utricles, deciduous, ovate, subacute to acuminate, pale brownish green or light brown, membr. Utricles 4.5–5 × c. 1.5 mm., trigonous, ovate, green to grey-brown, dull, smooth, apart from the prominent lateral nerves, slightly contracted below to a stipe c. 1 mm. long, and tapered above to a beak c. 1.5 mm. long.

DIST.: N. Mountains south of lat. 37º30'. S. Nelson, Westland and Otago; rare. St.

Tussock grassland and herbfield from 1,050–1,600 m. altitude.

U. viridis shows most resemblance to U. divaricata but differs in its bright green colour and especially in the relatively few-fld spikes. From U. caespitosa it differs in its ± shorter culms, narrower bright green Ivs, very few-fld spikes and shorter, narrower utricles. It was originally referred to the Australian U. compacta R.Br. but that sp. has more coriac. lvs and glumes, and wider utricles.