Flora of New Zealand Series

U. leptostachya Raoul var. scabra (Boott) Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 309.

U. disticha Col. in T.N.Z.I.  20,  1888,  210.

Type locality: "Woods nr top of Ruahine Range." Type: K, Colenso 1642.

Caespitose, harsh, rather rigid, yellow-green, olive-green or dull bluish green. Culms 25–40–(80) cm. tall, us. < 1 mm. diam., erect, strongly scabrid towards the top; basal sheaths dark brown. Lvs 3–6 per culm, > or = culm, 2–3 mm. wide, narrow-linear, moderately scabrid on margins and on upper surface along midvein, tips subacute in shorter lvs, more tapering and filiform in longer lvs. Spikes (3)–4–6–(10) cm. long, bracteate, lowermost glume often broad and lf-like, much > spike, or the midrib greatly extended forming a long filiform awn, female fls c. 10, lax, internodes to 8 mm. long at base of spike, 2–4 mm. long above. Glumes < or = utricles, persistent, obtuse or lowermost subacute, membr., very light brown, the midrib of lower glumes often scabrid. Utricles 4.5–6 × c. 1 mm., plano-convex or subtrigonous, grey-brown, scabrid on both surfaces towards the apex, narrowed above to a beak 1 mm. long and scarcely narrowed below to a greenish stipe 1–1.5 mm. long.

DIST.: N. Great Barrier Id, and southwards from lat. 38º, more common in the east. S. Nelson, and on the east side as far south as Dunedin.

Forest and scrub from sea level to c. 1,200 m. altitude.

U. disticha Col. Type: WELT, "dry woods, south of Dannevirke, 1887", Colenso.