North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands: Swampy places, margins of lakes, &c., plentiful in the North Island, less common in the South Island. Sea-level to 2000 ft. November–January.
Best distinguished by the narrow interrupted panicle, broad spathaceous bracts, and 2–3-flowered spikelets. It extends to Australia and Tasmania, the Malay Archipelago, and northwards to China and Japan.
5. C. Huttoni, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. ix. (1877) 551.—Stems tufted, slender, terete, rather wiry, striate, 3–5 ft. high. Leaves few towards the base of the stem, long, terete, striate; tips subulate, acute. Panicle elongated, rather lax. drooping, 10–18 in. long; lower branches remote, solitary or fascicled, 3–6 in. long or more; bracts large and sheathing, membranous, acuminate. Spikelets numerous, fascicled, brown, ⅛–⅙ in. long, 2–5-flowered, rarely more than 2 of the flowers fertile. Glumes 4–7, ovate, acuminate, membranous, striated; margins ciliate. Stamens 3 or rarely 2. Style-branches 3. Nut small, oblong, obtusely trigonous, smooth when mature, pale; beak very small.
North Island: Auckland—Whangape, Waikare, Waihi, and other lakes in the Middle Waikato, Kirk! T.F.C; Lake Tikitapu, Kirk! Lake Taupo, Kirk. Sea-level to 1600 ft. December–Febraary.
Very close to C. glomeratum, but distinguished by the larger size, longer panicle with drooping branches, smaller many-flowered spikelets, and smaller paler nut.
6. C. teretifolium, R. Br. Prodr. 237.—Stems densely tufted, terete or slightly compressed, rush-like, firm, striate, 1–3 ft. high. Leaves few at the base of the stem, long, terete except towards the sharp subulate tip, which is often obscurely 3–4-angled; sheaths rather loose. Panicle oblong, 2–6 in. long, much branched, dense; lower branches closely placed, not distant as in C. glomeratum; bracts short. Spikelets very numerous, fascicled, dark-brown, ⅙ in. long, 1- or rarely 2-flowered, but in the latter case the upper flower is sterile. Glumes ovate, acuminate or awned, membranous, ciliate or almost glabrous, the 2 or 3 outer empty. Stamens 3. Style-branches 3. Nut very small, oblong-orbicular, not trigonous, corky, conspicuouslv corrugated; beak very minute, smooth.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 276; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 304; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 406.
North Island: Abundant in swamps from the North Cape to Hawke's Bay and Taranaki. South Island: Aorere Valley, Kirk! near Westport, Townson! Hokitika, Kirk! Canterbury, Armstrong; Southern Alps, Sinclair and Haast (Handbook). Sea-level to 2000 ft. November–January.
This has the habit and general appearance of C. glomeratum, but the stems and leaves are firmer, the panicle shorter and much more dense, bracts smaller, spikelets usually 1-flowered, and nut very different. It is also found in eastern Australia and Tasmania.
