Flora of New Zealand Series

C. rara Boott subsp. capillacea (Boott) Kük. in Pflanzenr. 38, 1909, 102.

C. wallii Petrie in T.N.Z.I.  53,  1921,  371.

Type locality: Sikkim, Asia.

Shortly rhizomatous, tufts flaccid, more or less matted. Culms 4–10–(20) × c. 0.5 mm., us. ± curved, plano-convex to terete, smooth; basal sheaths light brown or grey-brown. Lvs < culms, to 0.5 mm. wide, plano-convex to involute, yellow-green, shining, margins finely scabrid near the acute tip. Infl. a solitary, terminal, androgynous spike 5–8 × 3–4 mm., ovate, ebracteate, or the lowermost glume occ. ± bractiform; female fls 6–10, male fls in a terminal spikelet c. 3 mm. long. Glumes < utricles, ovate, obtuse, pale brown, midrib green. Utricles c. 2 × 1 mm., plano-convex or biconvex, ovoid, green, membr., nerved, margins glab.; beak c. 0.5 mm. long, orifice truncate or notched, glab.; stipe absent. Stigmas 3. Nut c. 1.5 mm. long, bluntly trigonous, ovoid, pale cream, surface distinctly reticulately pitted; style-base persistent.

DIST.: S. Western Marlborough and Nelson, Canterbury near Broken R., Southland between Lumsden and Manapouri.

Also recorded from Japan, China, India, Philippines, Celebes, New Guinea and Australia.

In swampy ground.

C. wallii Petrie was described from "wet ground at Centre Hill, Southland" (between Lumsden and Manapouri); type, WELT, 5150, A. Wall; isotypes at CANTY and AK.

The unispicate infl. distinguishes this sp. from all other N.Z. spp. except the four placed under subgenus Primocarex. The utricles of C. capillacea are very similar in shape and texture to those of C. flaviformis although they are much smaller.