Flora of New Zealand Series

Type: AK, 2079, Jackson's, Teremakau R., Westland, 2,000 ft, D. Petrie, Jan. 1893.

Rhizomatous with lfy, often distant tufts. Rhizome c. 0.5 mm. diam. Culms (1)–2–10 cm. × c. 0.5 mm., stiff. Lvs 2–5, us. 1 at least > culm, c. 0.5 mm. wide, often slightly curved, concave- or plano-convex; lowermost lvs reduced to brown fibrillose sheaths. Infl. of 1 or rarely 2 spikelets; subtending bract much > spikelet; up to 3 cm. long. Spikelets (2)–3.5–5 × (1)–3–4 mm., ovate-elliptical to suborbicular, pale green to pale brown. Glumes 8, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, white and membr., acute, occ. with a red-brown patch on either side, or with minute dots towards the tip, keel green, often excurrent; 2 lowermost glumes frequently larger than the rest, to 3.5 mm. long, the lowest with much extended keel. Hypog. bristles 0. Stamens 1–2–(3). Style-branches 2 or 3. Nut c. 1 mm. long, slightly < 1 mm. wide, suborbicular, unequally biconvex, compressed with edges flattened, apiculate, the pearly grey surface finely reticulate and appearing smooth.

DIST.: N. Kaimanawa Range, Mangaharuru Range, Mt Egmont. S. Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Westland, Otago.

In damp ground and on margins of streams and lakes us. from 750–1,400 m. altitude.

S. caligenis var. tristigmatosa Cook in T.R.S.N.Z. 81, 1953, 158. Described as differing from var. caligenis in having a 3-fld style, trigonous, obovate, darker brown nut, a smaller spikelet and fr., and outer glumes without extended keel. He noted, however, that some specimens of var. tristigmatosa have elongated glumes, and fr. similar in shape to var. caligenis though smaller in size. (Localities listed by Cook were Broken R., and Lakes Brunner, Lyndon and Tekapo).

S. Caligenis is distinguished by its relatively large, whitish spikelets.