Flora of New Zealand Series

Densely tufted, bright green or yellow-green, slender and flaccid. Stems usually to 16 cm but occasionally to 30 cm high, filiform. Leaves much < stems, filiform; lower sheaths colourless, upper reddish. Inflorescence apparently lateral, of 1-3 spikelets; bract much > spikelets to 8 mm long, filiform. Spikelets 1.5-2.5 mm long, elliptical or ovoid, green and brown. Glumes 0.5-1 mm long, ± acute, pale brown or reddish-brown with distinct nerves, keel green, hardly excurrent, margins constricted beside keel. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 1-2. Stigmas 3. Nut usually slightly > 1.5 mm long, triquetrous with thickened angles, distinctly apiculate, dull grey to black.

N. North Auckland; South Auckland; Bay of Plenty; Taranaki; Wellington - Volcanic Plateau, Palmerston North, Aorangi Range. S. Marlborough - Okiwi Bay. Lake edges, stream banks, swampy ground; lowland. (S. Africa, Tristan da Cunha, Madagascar, Australia)

First record: Cheeseman 1906: 774. Cheeseman noted under S. cernuus that there were two forms, one littoral [=S. cernuus] "the other is more slender, the spikelets are paler, and the nut much smaller, more elliptical, and more acutely trigonous" [=S. chlorostachyus according to specimens in Cheeseman' s herbarium at AK].

First collection: Kawakawa, Bay of Islands, Petrie, Mar.1898 (WELT 20165, 20166, 20220).

Formerly treated in N.Z. as S. antipodus V. J. Cook T.R.S.N.Z. 81, 1953, 159 (Type: AK 59164, Lake Waahi, near Huntly, western edge, V. J. Cook 1764, Sept. 1942).