North Island: Hawke's Bay—Mud-banks by the Ngaruroro River, Colenso! Kirk! Petrie! South Island: Westland—Jackson's, Teremakau River, Petrie! Otago—Not uncommon in the middle portion of tbe Clutha Valley, Roxburgh, Beaumont, Spear-grass Flat, Petrie! Pomahaka, Kirk! Sea-level to 2000 ft. November–March.
A curious little plant, in its usual state easily distinguished by the very short stems with the spikelets concealed by the leaves. But some forms have the stems more developed, and are then easily taken for small varieties of S. aucklandicus, which, however, has a very different nut.
3. S. aucklandicus, Boeck. in Linnæa, xxxvi. (1869–70) 491.—Forming compact grassy patches 2–6 in. diam. or more. Stems numerous, densely crowded, much branched at the base, stout or slender, striate, leafy at the base, 1–6 in. high. Leaves 2–6, equalling or longer than the stems, stout or slender, usually more or less coriaceous and rigid but sometimes almost flaccid, semiterete, convex on the back, grooved in front, tips obtuse. Spikelet solitary or rarely 2, small, 112–18 in. long, broadly ovoid, varying in colour from dark chestnut-brown to pale whitish-green; bract very long, leafy, obtuse at the tip. Glumes few, ovate, obtuse, concave, often with a thick excurrent keel, very variable in colour. Stamens 3 or 2. Style-branches 3. Nut elliptic-ovoid, compressed, trigonous with the angles rounded, white or pale-yellow, smooth but not polished.—Isolepis aucklandica, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 88, t. 50; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 302. Isolepis cartilaginea var. rigida, Berggr. in Minnesk. Fisiog. Sallsk. Lund. (1877) n. viii. 23. I. alpina, Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 86 (in part).
Var. subcucullata, C. B. Clarke, MS.—Much more slender and diffuse. Stems weak, almost filiform; spikelet pale, solitary, 3–6-fiowered. Glumes slightly hooded at the tip.—Isolepis subcucullata, Berggren l.c. 22, t. 5, f. 16–20.
North Island: Ruahine Mountains, Colenso! Rangipo Desert, Petrie! Ruapehu, Rev. F. H. Spencer. South Island: Not uncommon in mountain-swamps throughout. Stewart Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands: Plentiful in moist places, descending to sea-level. December–March.
A variable plant. The typical state can be recognised without much difficulty by the dense leafy habit, the leaves frequently overtopping the stems, by the small usually solitary spikelets, and pale elliptic-ovoid nut. But lowland states, with a more slender and less leafy habit, are difficult to separate from S. cernuus. Other forms approach very closely to S. antarcticus. According to Mr C. B. Clarke, the species is also found in Tasmania and Amsterdam Island.
4. S. cernuus, Vahl. Enum. ii. 245.—Stems densely tufted, very slender, quite glabrous, 2–6 in. high, rarely more. Leaves setaceous, 1–3 near the base of the stem and shorter than it. Spikelets solitary or 2–3 together, ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 110–18 in. long: bract variable in length, usually exceeding the spikelets, continuous with the stem so that the spikelets appear to be lateral. Glumes 6–15, broadly ovate, concave or obscurely keeled, obtuse or with a short
