Flora of New Zealand Series

Original localities: Several, all South Id. No lectotype has been chosen.

Rhizomatous; tufts ± distant, rather stiff, bright green. Rhizome 2–4 mm. diam., occ. long-creeping. Culms (4)–10–40–(50) cm. × (0.5)–1–1.5 mm., trigonous, margins faintly scabrid, especially towards infl.; basal sheaths grey-brown or reddish brown. Lvs ∞, = or > culms, 2–4 mm. wide, double-folded, ± erect, rather rigid, margins closely scabrid. Spikes 4–7, all, or at least the lowest, distinctly pedunculate; terminal 1–(2) spikes male, dark brown or occ. very light brown, the rest female, 1.5–3.5 cm. × 3–5 mm., us. dark brown, occ. branched at base. Glumes ± = utricles, ovate-lanceolate, subacute, truncate, almost emarginate, coriac., dark red-brown, almost black, midrib narrow, light yellow-green, extending to the tip or produced beyond to a scarcely scabrid awn us. < 1 mm., but up to 2.5 mm. long. Utricle 2.5–3.5 × c. 1.5 mm., plano-convex, ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, rather compressed, light yellow-brown to dark brown, with us. 2–5 distinct nerves on each face, occ. more in larger plants, margins glab.; tapering gradually above to a beak slightly < 0.5 mm. long, orifice entire or minutely bidentate; stipe < 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut 1.5–2 mm. long, plano-convex, oblong, light brown.

DIST.: N. Southwards from lat. 38º, us. between 600 and 1,500 m. altitude but descending to sea level near Wellington. S. Throughout, from sea level to 1,300 m. altitude.

In swampy ground.

Larger specimens of C. sinclairii may resemble C. subdola and the most constant difference seems to lie in the colour of the mature utricles; those of C. subdola are bright cinnamon-brown, while those of C. sinclairii are yellow-brown to dark brown. Smaller specimens of C. sinclairii have glumes without awns, or scarcely awned, and obovoid utricles with only 2–5 prominent nerves, but larger plants have longer awns in some of the glumes and the utricles are ovoid and tapering with nerves as in C. subdola.