Flora of New Zealand Series

C. fascicularis Boott var. minor Boott in Hook. f. Fl. N.Z.1, 1853, 283.

C. forsteri Wahl. var. minor (Boott) Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 315.

Original locality: New Zealand. Type: "Banks and Solander (British Museum (Natural History) and Dominion Museum, Wellington)" fide Hamlin in T.R.S.N.Z. 84, 1957, 686.

Light green tufts. Culms (15)–30–70 cm. × 1–2.5 mm., trigonous, smooth or faintly scabrid below infl.; basal sheaths light to dark grey, often red-tinged. Lvs > culms, to 100 cm. long, 2–5–(7) mm. wide, double-folded, cross-veinlets ± prominent, keel and margins minutely scabrid. Infl. of (2)–3–4–(5) close-set, sessile, us. erect, occ. spreading spikes, or the lowest 1–(2) rather distant and shortly pedunculate; terminal spike male; remaining spikes female, us. > and overtopping male spike, (2)–3–6 cm. × 7–12 mm., crowded at same level round base of male spike. Glumes us. much < utricles, 1–2 mm. long, narrowly ovate-lanceolate, margin of upper part fimbriate or lacerate, hyaline with a green midrib produced to a scabrid awn 1–3 mm. long, up to 6 mm. long in lowermost glumes. Utricles 4–5.5–(6) × 1–1.5 mm., plano-convex or biconvex, turgid, ovate or lanceolate, spreading when ripe, shining light green to light brown with ∞ distinct white nerves, very slightly tapered above to a beak 1.5–2 mm. long, with bifid, glab. orifice, crura c. ⅓ length of entire beak; stipe narrow, c. 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 3. Nut c. 1.5 mm. long, triquetrous, ellipsoid, cream or light brown.

DIST.: N. Throughout, but rare on the eastern side. S. Almost throughout, but rare in Southland and not recorded from Fiordland.

In swamps and on margins of lakes from sea level to 750 m. altitude.

C. maorica may be distinguished from C. fascicularis by the close-set female spikes.