Flora of New Zealand Series

U. purpurata Petrie var. fuscovaginata (Kük.) Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 801.

Type: WELT, 1714, Arthur's Pass "on bank by creek", L. Cockayne 7790, 23/1/1898; isotype at CANTY.

Shortly rhizomatous or loosely caespitose. Rhizome woody, 2–3 mm. diam. Culms (8)–12–25–(35) cm. × (0.7)–1–1.5–(2) mm., stiffly erect, scabrid below infl.; basal bracts dull reddish brown or dull dark brown. Lvs 4–7 per culm, < or ± = culms, 1.5–4–(5) mm. wide, rigid, curved, coriac., bright green or yellow-green, margins us. harshly scabrid but occ. almost glab., upper surface towards tip also scabrid. Spikes (2)–3–6–(7.5) cm. × 3–7 mm., linear to subclavate, occ. bracteate, female fls us. 10–15, us. close-set, rarely rather lax, internodes to 6 mm. long at base of spike, 2–3 mm. long above. Glumes slightly >, = or slightly < utricles, persistent, ovate, obtuse or lowermost subacute, coriac., greenish brown, light brown or dull dark brown, rarely bright chestnut-brown, midrib broad, green, margins white, hyaline. Utricles 5–7.5 × 1.5–2 mm., plano-convex or concavo-convex, ovate or obovate, many-nerved, tapered above to a beak 1.5–2 mm. long, slightly narrowed at the base to a stipe 1–2 mm. long.

DIST.: N. Volcanic Plateau, Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. S. Throughout, but very rare in Westland. St.

Snow-tussock grassland, herbfield or open forest from 300–1,600 m. altitude.

U. fuscovaginata var. caespitans Hamlin in Bull. Dom. Mus., Wellington 19, 1959, 21. Type: WELT, 1719, Sealey Range, c. 3,000', Petrie, 14/2/1911. In this var. Hamlin placed those plants from South Id which were very shortly rhizomatous and had lvs 1.5–2–(2.5) mm. wide, spikes 3–5 mm. diam. and utricles 5–6–(7) mm. long, and he referred distinctly rhizomatous plants with leaves (2.5)–3–4–(5) mm. wide, spikes 5–7 mm. diam. and utricles 6–7 mm. long to var. fuscovaginata. Var. fuscovaginata is more widespread, having been recorded from North, South and Stewart Is. Hamlin notes (1959, p. 22) that var. caespitans grades almost imperceptibly into var. fuscovaginata. More information is required about ecological or geographical distinctions between the slender and robust forms.

Some plants collected from Central Otago resemble U. purpurata in their slender habit and bright chestnut-brown glumes, but are distinct from that sp. and regarded as falling within U. fuscovaginata because they have harshly scabrid lvs, and utricles us. = or slightly > glumes. With these specimens may also belong the immature type of U. purpurata var. robusta Petrie (T.N.Z.I. 17, 1885, 272) WELT, 1696, Maungatua Hill, 690 m.