Flora of New Zealand Series

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

C. confusa Hamlin in T.R.S.N.Z.  82,  1954,  58.

Type: HAL, Forster, no locality.

Rhizomatous; robust, 50–120 cm. tall, bright green. Culms 1.5–3.5–(5) mm. diam., triquetrous, us. sharply scabrid; basal sheaths dull grey-brown below, occ. purple-brown, margins shredding into fibres wrapped round the culm. Lvs ∞, us. > culms, (2)–5–9–(11) mm. wide, double-folded, margins scabrid. Spikes (10)–15–24, all pedunculate and pend., peduncles very slender, occ. far exceeding the spikes in length; upper 3–6–(7) spikes male, 2–3 mm. diam., glumes hardly awned; remaining spikes female, us. male at the top, geminate, ternate or quinate, lowermost spikes (3.5)–5–12–(15) cm. × 4–5–(6) mm., upper spikes progressively smaller. Glumes (excluding awn) ± = utricles, narrow-oblong, truncate or emarginate with a hispid awn of variable length, dark red-purple, midrib broad, light brown. Utricles (2.0)–2.3–2.9–(3.5) × 1.2–1.7–(2.0) mm., biconvex, fusiform, only slightly saccate, compressed at the base, tapering evenly above, green-, red- or yellow-brown, 3–5-nerved on each side, margins glab.; beak minute or c. 0.2 mm. long, orifice entire; stipe < 0.5 mm. long. Stigmas 2. Nut c. 1.5 mm. long, plano-convex, ovoid to almost orbicular, dull brown or dark grey.

DIST.: N. Southwards from lat. 36º. S. Throughout, but less common on the eastern side. St.

Damp or swampy ground, us. from sea level to 600 m. altitude, less common at higher altitudes to 1,200 m.

Hamlin (T.R.S.N.Z. 85, 1958, 395) discussed the lectotype and the figures accompanying Schkuhr's original description.

C. ternaria var. gracilis Cheesem. No localities were cited but the var. was described as abundant throughout North and South Is "from the North Cape to Stewart Island and the Auckland Isles, and from sea-level to 4,000 ft." AK, 2590, Lake Waihi, Waikato, T. F. Cheeseman, was selected as lectotype by Hamlin (T.R.S.N.Z. 82, 1954, 59).

C. confusa Hamlin was based on C. ternaria var. gracilis.

C. ternaria var. minor forma nigrescens Kük. in Pflanzenr. 38, 1909, 369, was described as "squamae nigricantes, nervi dorsales cum arista rubentes". It is represented by WELT 1050, "Running water, Arthur's Pass, 900 m., L. Cockayne 1535, 23/1/98", and appears to belong in C. geminata.