35. C. Dallii, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvi. (1894) 261.—Small, slender, laxly tufted, usually reddish-brown. Culms very slender, smooth, grooved, 4–10 in. high. Leaves shorter than the culms or almost equalling them, sheathing at the base, narrow, 130–115 in. broad, concave in front, convex behind, grooved, narrowed into long filiform points; margins slightly scabrid above. Spikelets 3–5, narrow, ¼–⅔ in. long, more or less distant, the lowermost often almost basal, dark red-brown; terminal one male, slender; remainder all female, sometimes with a few male flowers below, sessile except the lowest, which is on a long filiform peduncle; bracts long, leafy. Glumes ovate, acuminate or slightly awned, membranous, reddish-brown. Utricles narrow-ovoid, obscurely trigonous, smooth or faintly nerved, dark purplish-black; margins entire; beak sharply 2-toothed. Styles 3. Nut trigonous.—C. Traversii, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvi. (1894) 262.
South Island: Nelson—Source of the Heaphy River, Dall! Dun Mountain, H. H. Travers! 2500–4000 ft. December–February.
I cannot see upon what grounds Mr. Kirk's C. Traversii can be separated from Dall's Heaphy River specimens. Both are very near to C. Petriei, principally differing in the more slender habit, more distant spikelets, the lowermost one almost basal, darker glumes, and rather narrower utricles.
36. C. Petriei, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 413.—Densely tufted, usually brownish-red. Culms stout or rather slender, quite smooth, deeply grooved, leafy, 5–15 in. high. Leaves numerous, longer or shorter than the culms, broad and sheathing at the base, blade narrow, 130–110 in. broad, deeply grooved, concave in front, convex behind, narrowed into long slender points that are usually curled and twisted when dry; margins scabrid. Spikelets 3–5, narrow-oblong, ⅓–⅔ in. long, more or less approximate but not closely so, the lower one often remote; terminal one male, slender; remainder all female, sometimes with a few male flowers at the base, all stalked, but the stalks of the upper ones sometimes very short; bracts long, leafy. Glumes ovate, acute or shortly cuspidate, thin and membranous, pale, often almost white, but usually more or less stained with chestnut, rarely chestnut-brown; margins often lacerate. Utricles longer than the glumes, narrow-ovoid or elliptic-oblong, biconvex, rather turgid, smooth or obscurely nerved, shining, dark purplish-brown or almost black; margins entire; beak short, 2-toothed. Styles 3. Nut elliptic, trigonous.
South Island: Not uncommon in mountain districts, from Nelson to the south of Otago. 2000–5000 ft. December–February.
Characterized by the broad sheathing-base of the leaves, and their fine curled and twisted points; by the rather small and narrow spikelets, all of which are stalked, and the lower on filiform peduncles; by the usually pale-coloured glumes; and by the narrow-ovoid or elliptic turgid utricles, which are dark purplish brown or almost black.
