Species about 21, one in New Zealand, one in Chili, another in Cochin-China, 7 in South Africa, the remainder confined to Australia.
1. L. simplex, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 142 (not of R. Br.).—Rhizome stout, creeping, clothed with chestnut-brown scales. Stems numerous, densely crowded, simple, slender, terete, rushlike, 1–5 ft. high. Sheaths closely appressed, blackish-brown, distant, 1½–4 in. apart. Male inflorescence panicled; panicles variable in size, sometimes long and slender, at other times short and contracted, alternate on the upper part of the stem. Spikelets numerous, sessile or pedicelled, red-brown, ¼–½ in. long, manyflowered. Glumes imbricate, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, mucii longer than the flowers. Perianth-segments 4–6, lanceolate, the 3 inner rather smaller. Female inflorescence compacted into rounded or oblong often lobed or interrupted fascicles or glomerules, alternate along the stem. Glumes broadly ovate, acuminate. Perianth rather longer than in the males; segments 6, the 3 outer keeled, acuminate; the 3 inner flat, oblong, obtuse or mucronate. Fruit narrow-ovoid, triquetrous.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 291; Raoul, Choix, 40; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 265, t. 61; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 294. Restio simplex, Murr. Syst. Veg. v. 882; Forst. Prodr. n. 367.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands: Salt marshes and sandy shores, abundant. Also inland near hot springs at Rotorua and at Tokaanu (Lake Taupo). Oioi. September–December.
3. HYPOLÆNA, R. Br.
Stems slender, much branched, often flexuous. Leaves reduced to persistent sheathing scales. Flowers dioecious, in spikelets with imbricate glumes and no bracteoles; the male spikelets few- or many-flowered, rarely 1-flowered, solitary or 2 together along the branchlets, or several in a terminal panicle; the females 1-flowered, either solitary or 2–3 together near the tips of the branches. Male flowers: Perianth-segments 6, narrow, thin. Stamens 3; filaments filiform; anthers 1-celled. Female flowers: Perianth-segments 6, smaller than in the males, very thin, almost hyaline. Staminodia when present 3. Ovary 1-celled; style-branches 2 or 3, filiform; ovule solitary, pendulous. Fruit an ovoid or obovoid terete indehiscent 1-seeded nut.
A genus consisting of about 12 species natives of South Africa, and 5 found in Australia, one of the latter extending to New Zealand.
1. H. lateriflora, Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 238.—Stems slender, much branched, flexuose and often interlacing, usually from 9–18 in., but sometimes forming dense masses 2–3 ft. high. Sheaths ⅕–⅓ in. long, closely appressed, often ciliate at the mouth, with a short subulate spreading tip. Male spikelets 1 or 2 together in the upper sheaths, each spikelet 3–6-flowered; glumes rather
