Flora of New Zealand Series

Lampocarya lacera A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z.  1832,  109.

Original locality: "Crescit in Nova-Zeelandia". Lectotype: P, 2646, Baie des Îles, Nelle Zélande, Herb. Richard no. 33, labelled Lampocarya lacera by Richard. P 2640 and 2645 are better specimens from the same locality but were not labelled L. lacera.

Thick, yellowish green tufts. Rhizome 5–8 mm. diam., very hard and woody. Culms 60–150 cm. × 2–4 mm., up to 6 mm. wide at base. Lvs , almost all cauline and = or > culms; lamina up to 9 mm. wide, flat or involute, glab. abaxially, margins scabrid; sheaths all closely appressed to and enclosing base of culm, slightly rough above, becoming dark brown to almost black, and smooth and shining towards the node. Panicle 20–40 × 3–6 cm., rigid, us. erect, many-fld, light brown, branchlets 2–7–(13) cm. long, often in dense, ± distant clusters along the axis of the panicle. Spikelets 1-fld. c. 8 mm. long, alternate on the branchlets, sessile or shortly stalked. Glumes 4–5; the outer 2–3 light red-brown; inner glumes pale cream, with a red lacerate tip. Stamens 4. Style-branches 3. Nut 3.5–4.5 mm. long, slightly < 2 mm. diam., oblong-ellipsoid or oblong-obovoid, black, shining, with a minute apiculate tip; endocarp obscurely transversely striate within.

DIST.: N. Between North Cape and lat. 38º, scattered further south to c. lat. 40º.

Light forest or scrub, us. near the coast.

FL. 7–10.

Buchanan in T.N.Z.I. 6, 1874, 225 lists G. lacera as occurring in Wellington, and Cheeseman in Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 240, gives the distribution as from North Cape to Cook Strait, while Hooker in Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 306 says it occurs also in South Id. No herb. specimens or recent records are known from south of lat. 40º.