Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Mt Egmont, Manganui Track below Warwick Castle, among small boulders at base of bluff, 1,500 m." Type: WELT, 3181, Hamlin 451, 24/2/1955.

Caespitose. Culms 10–18–(30) cm. × c. 0.5 mm., subtrigonous or terete, glab.; basal bracts dull brown. Lvs 4–7 per culm, < culms, c. 1 mm. wide, ± stiff, involute, or flatter and up to 1.5 mm. wide, bright green, us. curled at the tips, faintly scabrid on margins and adaxial surface towards lf-tip. Spikes 3–5–(5.5) cm. × 2–5 mm., occ. bracteate, female fls (6)–10–20, rather close-set, internodes 1–3 mm. long. Glumes much > utricles at base of spike, = utricles above, deciduous, ovate, acute or acuminate, membr., light brown with a green to brown midrib. Utricles 4–5 × 1–1.5 mm., trigonous, ovate, widely spreading when ripe, green to light brown, shining, the lateral nerve always prominent, otherwise smooth or faintly nerved, contracted below to a conspicuous stipe slightly > 1 mm. long, slightly tapered above to a beak c. 1 mm. long.

DIST.: N. Mt Egmont and Rangiwahia, Ruahine Range. S. Mt Arthur, Nelson and in mountains of Otago and Fiordland. St.

Grassland or scrub, occ. in forest, 900–1,500 m. altitude.

U. involuta and the following sp. U. viridis resemble U. hookeri in having bright green, shining, involute or deeply channelled, rather narrow Ivs, us. < culms. The spikes in all 3 spp. are short, with glumes > utricles.