L. campestris is widely distributed in temperate and montane districts in most parts of the world, and is everywhere excessively variable. In arranging the New Zealand forms I have mainly followed Buchenau's paper on "Luzula campestris and its Allied Species," printed in Oesterr. Bot. Zeitsch. 1898. It is necessary for the student to bear in mind that the characters given for the varieties are those of prominent forms only, that intermediates between all of them are plentiful, and that aberrant states are not uncommon.
7. L. racemosa, Desv. Journ. Bot. i. (1808) 162; var. Traversii, Buchen. Monog. Junc. 133.—Stems densely tufted, very variable in size, usually from 6 to 12 in., but sometimes attaining 18 in. and occasionally dwarfed to 4 in., slender, often attenuate above. Leaves radical and a few cauline, all much shorter than the stem, 1–6 in. long, rarely more, 110–14 in. broad at the base and from thence gradually tapering upwards, apex subulate, not obtuse as in the forms of L. campestris; margins flat or involute, ciliate with long hairs. Inflorescence terminal, erect or nodding, compound, of several short and dense spikes either all congested into an ovoid head, or the lower 1 to 3 distinct and sometimes peduncled. Lower bracts foliaceous, often overtopping the inflorescence; upper membranous, with very broad white margins and apices, densely ciliate with long hairs. Flowers small, 110 long. Perianth-segments equal, or the outer slightly longer, lanceolate, awned, pale-chestnut with white and silvery margins. Stamens 3, rarely more. Capsule equalling the perianth, ovoid-globose, trigonous, mucronate, pale- or dark-chestnut, sometimes almost black. Seeds oblong-ovoid, ferruginous.
Var. ulophylla, Buchen. in Oesterr. Bot. Zeitsch. 1898.—Stems small, slender, 3–6 in. high, rarely more. Leaves very narrow, straight or curved, convolute, margins and backs densely covered with a scurfy coating of white woolly hairs. Heads ovoid-globose or cylindrical, small, ¼–½ in. long; bracts pale. Capsule dark-chestnut.
South Island: Nelson—Mountains above the Wairau Gorge, T.F.C. Marlborough—Mount Mouatt, Kirk! Canterbury—Brouen River Basin and Upper Waimakariri, Kirk! T.F.C., Cockayne! Mount Cook district, T.F.C. Otago—Mount Pisa, Mount Kyeburn, Old Man Range, Mount Ida, Petrie! Mount Earnslaw, Cockayne! Var. ulophylla: Clarence Valley, T.F.C.; Castle Hill, Cockayne! Lake Wanaka, Petrie! 2000–5500 ft. December–February.
Probably an abundant mountain-plant, but it is often confounded with varieties of L. campestris with congested inflorescence. From all these it can be readily distinguished by the tapering leaves ending in an acute subulate point quite unlike the obtuse and often swollen leaf-lip of L. campestris; also by the spiciform clusters, and by the broad bracts with white membranous margins densely ciliate with long hairs. Buchenau's var. ulophylla appears to me to be quite as distinct as many species generally accepted by authors, and I am not acquainted with any intermediate forms. But the genus is so overloaded with synonymy that I leave it as it is for the present. The typical state of the species extends along the Andes from Mexico to Chili.
