? var. multicaulis, Kirk, Students' Fl. 61.—Rigid, much branched, branches naked below. Leaves rather lax, spreading, linear-subulate, ¼ in. long. Peduncles about as long as the leaves. Sepals narrow-ovate, acute or mucronate, equalling the capsule.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Island: The typical form not uncommon from the East Cape southwards, usually on cliffs or shingly beaches. Var. strictus: Mountains of Canterbury and Otago. T. F. C., Petrie! Var. multicaulis: Interior of Otago, Buchanan!
A puzzling plant. As characterized above, it is distinguished from C. Billardieri by the rigid habit, harsh often cartilaginous leaves, and especially by the rigid acicular sepals, which are much longer than the capsule. The two varieties, when better known, may prove distinct.
5. C. brevisepalus, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 357, t. 27e.—A small densely tufted much-branched plant, forming compact rounded cushions 1–2 in. diam. Leaves densely imbricated, straight or curved, smooth and shining, 18–15 in. long, base broad and membranous, sheathing the stem, suddenly narrowed into the upper part, which is subulate, concave above, convex below, obtuse and almost tumid at the tip, abruptly produced into a short acicular point. Flowers terminal, sunk amongst the leaves. Sepals 5, ovate-subulate, convex or almost keeled, equalling or slightly longer than the oblong capsule.—Students' Fl. 61.
South Island: Marlborough—Mount Mowatt, Kirk! Canterbury—Mountains near Lake Tekapo, T. F. C. Otago—Kurow, Speargrass Flat, Cromwell, Queenstown, &c., Petrie! Ascends to nearly 6000 ft.
This appears to be a well-marked form, recognised without any difficulty by the short densely imbricated leaves with obtuse tips furnished with a fine hairpoint.
6. C. Benthamianus, Fenzl. in Ann. Wien Mus. i. 49.—A small densely tufted moss-like plant, forming small rounded patches about 1 in. high. Leaves densely imbricated, 16–14 in. long, subulate, strict and rigid, tapering from the base to a shortly acicular apex, channelled above, convex below, sometimes with a groove between the margin and midrib. Peduncles short; flowers slightly exceeding the uppermost leaves. Sepals 5, ovate-subulate, thickened at the base, acute or very shortly mucronate, equalling or very slightly exceeding the capsule.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 61. C. subulatus. Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 13 and ii. 247, t. 93; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 25; Benth. Fl. Austral. i. 160.
