Flora of New Zealand Series

Isolepis spiralis A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z.  1832,  105, t. 19.

Anthophyllum urvillei Steud. Syn. Pl. glum.  2,  1855,  160.

Scirpus frondosus Boeck. in Flora  61,  1878,  141.

S. spiralis (A. Rich.) Druce in Rep. bot. (Soc.) Exch. Cl. Manchr for 1916  1917,  646 

non Rottb. Descr. Ic. Nov. Pl. 1773, 45, t. 15, f. 1.

Pingao.

Original locality: "Crescit in Nova-Zeelandia." Type: P ? Richard's t. 19 leaves no doubt as to the identity of his plant.

Plants yellow-green, golden when dry, with stiff culms and very harsh lvs. Rhizome 1–1.5 cm. diam., shortly creeping, very hard and woody, covered by fibrous strands from decaying lf-sheaths. Culms ∞, 30–90 cm. × 2–4 mm., erect, obtusely trigonous, very lfy at the base. Lvs ∞, ± = culms, 2–5 mm. wide, often curved, coriac., linear, concavo-convex or ± channelled, margins and keel sharply denticulate, narrowed to a long, trigonous tip; sheaths submembr., much broader than lvs, with ∞, red-brown veins. Infl. 7–20–(30) cm. long, a very congested panicle of c. 12 confluent clusters of sessile Spikelets, each cluster subtended by a rigid lf-like bract adnate to the axis and broadening at base to an open sheath, lower bracts much exceeding infl. Spikelets 4–5 mm. long, dark red-brown. Glumes coriac., rigid, broadly ovate, obtuse, distinctly nerved, finely mucronulate, the lower ones ± keeled. Nut 2.5–4 × 2–2.5 mm., broadly obovoid, concavo-convex, compressed, obtuse, dark brown, smooth and shining.

DIST.: N., S. Almost throughout, but rare in Southland. St., Ch.

Coastal on sand-dunes.

Scirpus frondosus Boeck. was based on Isolepis spiralis A. Rich., as also was Anthophyllum urvillei Steud.

This sp. has been equally freely referred to both Desmoschoenus and Scirpus. The characteristic infl., harsh, stiff, narrow lvs and much-branching, stout, excessively long rhizome seem to warrant the treatment of Desmoschoenus as a genus distinct from Scirpus, a view supported by recent embryological investigations (see p. 172).

This is a well known plant because it is an effective sand-binder and also because the Maoris used the dried golden lvs to give colour to articles woven from Phormium.