Flora of New Zealand Series

C. ternaria Boott var. pallida Cheesem. in T.N.Z.I. 16, 1884, 431.

C. ternaria Boott var. minor Boott forma pallida (Cheesem.) Kük. in Pflanzenr. 38, 1909, 369.

Original localities (for C. ternaria var. pallida): "Marshy places in the mountains of the South Island, apparently plentiful, D. Petrie! T.F.C." Type: AK, 2596, Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, 2,500 feet, T. F. Cheeseman, Jan., 1883.

Rhizomatous; summer-green perennial, in coarse yellow-green tufts, (20)–50–100–(120) cm. high, each rather well-spaced on a hard, woody rhizome 5–12 mm. diam. Culms 1.5–3 mm. diam., trigonous, scabrid below infl.; basal sheaths membr., grey-brown, yellow-brown or dull red-brown, margins shredding into fibres wrapped round the culm. Lvs much > culms, 4–9 mm. wide, double-folded, stiff, coriac., hard, shining, margins closely scabrid. Spikes 8–15, pend. on filiform peduncles us. much > spike; 2–6 uppermost spikes male, 2–3 mm. diam., glumes hardly awned; remaining spikes female, occ. male at the top, geminate or ternate, rarely quinate, lower spikes the longest, 2–7–(10) cm. × c. 5 mm. Glumes (excluding awn) < utricles, narrow-ovate or obovate, with a short hispid awn, coriac., red-brown, margins narrow-hyaline; midrib broad, 3-nerved, light brown. Utricle (1.9)–2.3–2.8–(3.3) × (1.2)–1.5–2 mm., unequally biconvex, orbicular or broadly ovoid, yellow-green or light grey-brown, green towards the tip, faintly nerved but with prominent lateral ridges, margins smooth, gradually narrowed to a short beak c. 0.3 mm. long, orifice entire; stipe c. 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut slightly < 1.5 mm. long, c. ¾ length of utricle, biconvex, orbicular or oblong-ovoid, dark brown to black.

DIST.: N. Southwards from lat. 38º 30'. S. Throughout but more common on the eastern side. St.

In damp pasture or in seepages in grassland or on swampy river flats from sea level to 1,200 m. altitude.

In inland localities shoots of C. coriacea die back completely in the winter months and the tips of young buds may even be frosted while still underground. Nearer the coast the lvs are not always completely withered in the winter.