Flora of New Zealand Series

Cladium huttonii Kirk in T.N.Z.I.  9,  1877,  551.

Machaerina huttonii (Kirk) Koyama in Bot. Mag., Tokyo  69,  1956,  64.

Original localities: "Whangape, Waikare, and Wahi Lakes, Lower Waikato; Tikitapu Lake, Taupo." Lectotype: WELT, 20776, Lake Whangape, T. Kirk, April, 1870. Recorded also from Australia.

Rhizome c. 3 mm. diam., hard and woody, covered with very loose bracts. Culms 50–120 cm. × 1–2 mm., terete. Lowermost lvs reduced to sheathing bracts, light brown; upper lvs 1–3, terete like the stems, internally septate, tips acute. Panicle 10–40 cm. long, rounded at the tip, interrupted, branchlets drooping, in distant fascicles, the lowermost often remote, the stoutest lateral branchlet arising from lowest spathaceous bract < 1 mm. diam., us. only c. 0.5 mm. diam.; bracts large, membr., acuminate, spathaceous, light greenish brown. Spikelets , 3–3.5–(4.5) mm. long, approximate and rather evenly distributed along the branchlets, brown, 2–4-fld, us. only 2 lowest fls fertile. Glumes 4–7, ovate, acute, or acuminate, membr., pale brown below, red towards the tip and scabrid; margins ciliate. Nut 2–2.5 × c. 1 mm., oblong, trigonous, smooth, whitish, beak small.

DIST.: N. North Cape southwards to c. lat. 39º; rare further south. S. D'Urville Id and in Westland and Southland.

Not common, in swamps near the sea and inland near lakes.

Some specimens collected by R. Mason from lakes near Rotorua are very robust and have flattened lvs and culms.