North and South Islands: Apparently common: Auckland—Hokianga, Berggren; Whangarei, H. Carse! vicinity of Auckland, Petrie! T.F.C.; Rotorua, Cartwright, Petrie! T.F.C.; Taupo, Kirk! Hawke's Bay— Norsewood, Colenso! Wellington—Murimotu, Petrie! Canterbury—Styx River, Petrie! Sea-level to 2000 ft. November–March.
For the identification of this plant with the Tristan d'Acunha S. sulcatus I am indebted to Mr. C. B. Clarke, who, however, maintains it as a distinct variety, characterized by the usually 2-fid style and plano-convex nut not keeled on the convex face. Large stout forms of S. inundatus approach it very closely, but in fruit are easily distinguished by the 3-fid style and acutely trigonous nut. S. prolifer, which has precisely the same habit of growth, can always be separated by the long linear spikelets, 3 stamens, and small acutely trigonous nut.
8. S. prolifer, Rottb. Descr. et Ic. 55, t. 17, f. 2.—Stems numerous, tufted, 1–2 ft. high or more, rather stout, striate when dry, leafless except a large purplish or purplish-black sheath at the base. Heads large, ½–1 in. diam., terminal, solitary, of very many (10–30) densely crowded spikelets, often proliferous and putting out 1 or several usually long branches terminating in a much smaller head of spikelets; bract shorter than the head, obtuse. Spikelets long and narrow, ⅕–½ in. long, linear or linear-oblong, cylindrical, obtuse, many-flowered. Glumes ovate, obtuse, concave, chestnutbrown with a paler keel and margins. Hypogynous bristles wanting. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3, long, linear. Nut rather small, less than half the length of the glume, elliptic-ovoid, acute, acutely trigonous, smooth, pale yellowish-brown or almost white.—Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 330. Isolepis prolifer, R. Br. Prodr. 223. I. globosa, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. iii. (1871) 211.
North Island: Auckland—Bay of Islands, Kirk! Wellington—Karori, Evans Bay, and other localities in the vicinity of the City of Wellington, Buchanan! Kirk! Petrie! Wairarapa, Kirk! November–March.
Also in New South Wales, and abundant in South Africa. Easily separated from S. sulcatus and large states of S. inundatus by the very numerous long and narrow spikelets, and flowers with 3 stamens.
9. S. nodosus, Rottb. Descr. et Ic. 52, t. 8, f. 3.—Rhizome short, stout, woody, creeping, ¼ in. diam. or more. Stems very numerous, closely packed, 1–3 ft. high, erect, rigid, terete or slightly compressed. Leaves wanting except 2 or 3 sheathing scales at the base of the stems. Head solitary, globose, brown, ⅓–⅔ in. diam., of very numerous densely crowded spikelets; bract ½–1½ in. long, rigid, erect, continuous with the stem, so that the head appears lateral. Spikelets ovoid, ⅕–⅙ in. long, many-flowered. Glumes broadly ovate, obtuse or obscurely mucronate, concave. Hypogynous bristles wanting. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3, linear. Nut less than ½ the length of the glume, obovoid, obtusely trigonous, the flat face next the glume, pale-brown, smooth and polished.—Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 331. Isolepis nodosa, R. Br.
