Flora of New Zealand Series

U. caespitosa Boott var. minor Kük. in Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 802.

U. horizontalis Col. in T.N.Z.I.  15,  1883,  334.

Type: P, Akaroa, Raoul.

Forming a dense turf. Culms (10)–20–30–(40) cm. × c. 0.5 mm., drooping or nodding, glab., or slightly scabrid just below infl.; basal bracts light brown, not shining. Lvs 4–6–(7) per culm, < mature culms, c. 1.5–2 mm. wide, bright green, soft, channelled, scabrid on margins and upper surface towards tip. Spikes 3–5–(6) cm. × 3–5 mm., occ. bracteate, female fls 5–13–(33), lax towards base of spike with internodes to 6 mm. long, more crowded above with internodes 0.5–1 mm. long. Glumes ± = or us. < utricles, deciduous, ovate, acute or acuminate, hyaline with green midrib or very pale brown. Utricles 4.5–5.5–(6) × 1–1.5 mm., ovate-lanceolate, trigonous, green to greenish brown, us. smooth except for a prominent lateral nerve but occ. with a few less distinct nerves, somewhat spreading when ripe, slightly contracted below to a stipe c. 1–1.5 mm. long, tapering above to a beak of 1–2 mm. long.

DIST.: N., S., Ch.

Forest, us. between 300 and 1,200 m. altitude, descending to c. 100 m. altitude in Fiordland.

Apart from the type gathering, U. rupestris has not been collected at Akaroa or from anywhere on Banks Peninsula. However, the type specimen was illustrated in Raoul Choix 1846, t. 5A and this plate shows very clearly the characteristic trigonous utricle of U. rupestris. None of the spp. of Uncinia now to be found growing near Akaroa has trigonous utricles.

U. caespitosa var. minor Kük. No original localities were cited but Hamlin (1959, p. 39) selected from specimens later quoted by Kükenthal (pflanzenr. 38, 1909, 61) the lectotype, WELT, 1613, Base of Big Ben, upper Waimakariri Valley, Nothofagus forest, Cockayne 7861, Dec., 1901.

U. horizontalis was described from "Fagus woods, Norsewood, Hawke's Bay district, North Island; flowering early in November, 1881: W.C." WELT 36271 was labelled Uncinia horizontalis in Colenso's hand.