Flora of New Zealand Series

Carex uncinata Linn. f. Suppl. Pl.  1781,  413.

U. australis Pers. Syn. Pl. 2, 1807, 534.

U. rigidula steud. Syn. Pl. glum. 2, 1855, 245.

U. alopecuroides Col. in T.N.Z.I.  15,  1883,  335.

U. bractata Col. in T.N.Z.I.  16,  1884,  341.

U. pedicellata Kük. in Pflanzenr.  38,  1909,  61.

U. uncinata (Linn. f.) Kük. var. pedicellata (Kük.) Petrie in T.N.Z.I. 47, 1915, 54.

U. australis Pers. var. pedicellata (Kük.) Petrie in T.N.Z.I. 47, 1915, 59.

U. uncinata (Linn. f.) Kük. var. laxior Carse in T.N.Z.I. 48, 1916, 240.

Type: LINN, "N. Zeeland", Forster. Recorded also from the Hawaiian Is.

Caespitose. Culms (10)–18–45–(90) cm. × 1–1.5 mm., glab., or occ. scabrid just below infl.; basal sheaths dull brown. Lvs 5–10 per culm, ± = culms, or > flowering culms, (2)–3–4–(5) mm. wide, dark green or occ. reddish green, strongly scabrid on the margins and on the adaxial surface towards the tip. Spikes (5.5)–7–20 cm. × 2–3.5 mm., us. bracteate, female fls ∞, us. c. 60–120, very closely crowded throughout almost the whole spike, internodes 0.5–1.5 mm. long. Glumes us. < but occ. slightly > utricles, deciduous, ovate, obtuse or subacute, coriac., yellowish with a green midrib or often entirely dark brown, occ. greenish pink. Utricles (4)–4.5–5 mm. long, slightly > 1 mm. diam., a plano-convex or concavo-convex, shining, with us. one prominent lateral nerve on the abaxial face and 3–4 faint nerves on the adaxial face, yellowish to dull brown, stipe 1–1.5 mm. long, beak slightly > 1 mm. long; scarcely spreading when ripe.

DIST.: N., S., St., Ch., A.

Forest and scrub, occ. in bog from sea level to 900 m. altitude; very common in coastal forest.

U. australis Pers. was based on Carex uncinata Linn. f.

U. rigidula Steud. was based on a specimen from "N. Zealand".

U. alopecuroides Col. was described from Norsewood, Hawke's Bay district. WELT 21812 and 24309 were both designated by Cheeseman as "type" but bear no Colenso label.

U. bractata Col. was described from "woods, dry hills, between Norsewood and Danneverke, Waipawa County, 1882–3; W.C." WELT 21821 from Norsewood bears a Colenso label.

U. pedicellata Kük. was based on a specimen from Ruapuke Id, in Foveaux Strait; type, WELT, 1858, Cockayne 7867, 7/2/1903; isotype at CANTY. Hamlin (1959, p. 75) notes that U. pedicellata "was based on a single collection from Ruapuke Island where the plants are usually reddish as they are throughout the Stewart Island district. The other characters cited by Kükenthal break down when considered for the country as a whole and I have no doubt that only one species is involved. Cheeseman maintains Kükenthal's species as a variety but I cannot distinguish it either on the basis of his descriptions or his specimens."

U. uncinata var. laxior. Original localities: "From the North Cape to Ahipara; rare." Carse's specimens of var. laxior are at CANTY; there are two specimens from Tauroa on one of which Carse has noted "specimens from which the variety was described came from same plant." Hamlin (1959, p. 75) notes "This species, [U. uncinata] by far the commonest in the whole of the New Zealand area, is very variable in size, length of the spikes, and number and laxity of the flowers, also in the length of the glumes in relation to the utricles, but I can find no stable characters. The northern specimens lend to be rather longer and more lax in the spike and for these the name . . . var. laxior . . . was proposed but for the above reasons I cannot maintain it as valid."