Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Australian.

Tufts of small diam. Stems 8–30–(45) cm. × 1–2 mm. Lvs ∞, all basal, grass-like, much < stems, solid, non-septate, lamina rather stiff, flattened at the base and up to 8 mm. wide, involute above and tapering considerably to the slightly dilated tip, mucronate in young lvs; sheath very broad and often pink-coloured, without auricles. Infl. terminal, contracted in most N.Z. plants into a many-fld, globose head, or occ. slightly branched; 1–3 lfy bracts at the base, at least one much > infl. Fls c. 3 mm. long; outer tepals acute or acuminate, shorter than the inner, more membr., subobtuse tepals. Stamens 6. Capsule ± = tepals, obtuse, mucronate.

DIST.: N. From Bay of Islands southwards. S. As far south as Otago.

Rather local in swampy or brackish ground, us. coastal, from sea level to 500 m. altitude.

N.Z. plants were distinguished from Australian plants as J. caespiticius var. bracteatus by Buchenau in Engl. Bot. Jb. 12, 1890, 439. Lectotype: K, New Zealand, W. Stephenson 97, 1843/4; the sheet has one specimen with "var. bracteatus 21/1/88" in Buchenau's hand. Plants growing in wetter soil often have more branched infls and resemble the commoner form in Australia.