Juncus pallidus R.Br.
J. macrostigma Col. in T.N.Z.I. 17, 1885, 253.
Type locality: Australia. Type: BM.
Very tall and robust. Rhizome 5–10 mm. diam., horizontal. Flowering stems 1–2 m. × 3–8 mm., us. erect, occ. drooping, smooth, slightly shining, light green, soft, pith continuous; lvs 0; basal sheathing bracts ∞, lower ones shorter, the upper ones larger, loosely sheathing, very obtuse with a long, hair-like mucro, light green, light brown or pinkish brown. Infl. apparently lateral, many-fld, often contracted into a dense head wider than 1.5 cm., or effuse with long, stout, rigid branchlets. Fls 2.3–3 mm. long, clustered at branchlet tips, or evenly spaced along branchlets, on stout pedicels or almost sessile; tepals pale green, occ. tinged with pink, later becoming light brown, the outer rigid, the inner soft and membr., almost colourless. Stamens 6. Capsule 2.8–3.5 mm. long, us. distinctly > tepals, ovoid-trigonous, obtuse at the tip, very pale greenish brown.
DIST.: N., S., St., Ch.
Occasional to locally common in wet pastures and swampy places, us. not far from the coast. Found very rarely also on brackish soil.
J, macrostigma Col. was based on specimens from "sides of watercourses, Seventy-mile Bush, between Norsewood and Matamau, County of Waipawa; 1882: W.C."; lectotype WELT, 11238, Norsewood, Colenso; isotype at AK.
J. pallidus is easily recognised by its large size, 6 stamens and capsule much > tepals. The only known collection from Stewart Id is AK 2930, Paterson Inlet, D. Petrie. The introduced J. procerus Meyer, described by Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 293) as J. pallidus var. triandrus, is more common on Stewart Id. It resembles J. pallidus in size, but has interrupted pith, 3–4 stamens and brownish tepals and capsules.
