Cyperus ustulatus A.Rich.
Mariscus ustulatus (A. Rich.) C. B. Clarke in Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 766.
Original locality: "Crescit frequentissimus in ruderatis, secus torrentes Novae-Zeelandiae." Raoul 207, from Baie des Iles, is at K.
Robust, 60–120–(200) cm. tall, with lvs crowded at base of culms. Culms triquetrous, glab., striated. Lvs 60–120 × 0.8–1.5 cm., lamina coriac., strongly keeled, multitubular with ∞ septa prominent on the abaxial side, margins and keel very sharply and minutely serrulate; sheath brown. Infl. a terminal umbel 4–14 cm. long, of 6–12 unequal rays; rays us. unbranched, rarely with secondary branches at base; involucre of ∞ lf-like bracts very much > infl. Spikelets 8–13 mm. long, ∞, dark brown or yellow-brown, crowded on each ray into a dense spike (2.5)–3–5–(7) cm. long. Glumes 5–20 in each spikelet, ovate-oblong, obtuse or mucronate, hard, smooth and shining, keeled, red-brown with white nerves, 2 or occ. 3 lowermost and 1–2 uppermost glumes smaller, empty, the remainder fertile. Stamens with persistent filaments. Nut 1.5–2 × c. 0.5 mm., c. ½ length of glume, linear-oblong, trigonous, brown.
DIST.: K., N. Throughout, S. Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, Fiordland, Canterbury known only from Tai Tapu and Motukarara and reported from Banks Peninsula, also found near the mouth of the Rakaia R. Ch.
Lowland near rivers and in damp ground, especially near the coast.
FL. 11–2. FT. 2–4.
Some specimens, particularly those from the Kermadecs, Three Kings Is, Taranga Id, Mokohinau Id and some from near Auckland and from the Bay of Plenty have the rays of the infl. with a few shorter branches at the base, and glumes us. pale yellow-brown, with red-brown tips and red veins.
Cyperus ustulatus A. Rich. forma grandispiculosus Kük. ex Carse in T.N.Z.I. 48, 1916, 239, is described as "a form in which the spikelets are much longer than usual, and they are so set as to give the spike a fan-like appearance." Carse cited no localities but CANTY 2635, in damp land, Kaitaia, H. Carse, Feb., 1902, shows the character of the spikes better than other specimens in Herb. Carse labelled forma grandispiculosus. This form is scattered throughout North Id and a specimen has been collected from Westport, AK 2043, Townson.
