Part III—The Section Pseudocypereae Tuckerman

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 84, 1956-57, Page 683

Part III—The Section Pseudocypereae Tuckerman Introduction There has been more or less general recognition that there are two taxa of the Carex pseudocyperus L. group in New Zealand, but opinions have differed widely on the status of the taxa concerned. They have been variously placed as varieties of a species, varieties of C. pseudocyperus L. or, in Hooker's extreme view, as varieties of C. forsteri Wahl. In the opinion of the present author, they represent two distinct species, an opinion with which Mr. E. Nelmes, of Kew, agrees. Kukenthal, in his monograph (Pflanzenreich Heft 38. 1909) places Carex forsteri Wahl. and C. vacillans Sol. ex Boott in Hook. f. with C. pseudocyperus sensu lata in the Section Pseudocypereae Tuckerm. I do not propose to discuss the relationships here as the position will be examined when dealing with C. forsteri and its allies, but it can be noted that the similarity is of a superficial nature; C. forsteri and its allies are forest species with a densely caespitose habit, coriaceous sheaths and leaves, sheathing bracts, erect or nodding spikes, long glumes with short awns and usually coriaceous utricles which have the mouth scabrid between the crura. In addition, C. forsteri has an oblique mouth to the utricle. I prefer, therefore, to limit the New Zealand species of Sect. Pseudocypereae to the two following. These can be recognised from all other native species by the following combination of characters: Essentially swamp plants with prominent cross-veinlets on sheaths and leaves; leaves 3–7 mm wide, longer than the culms; spikes 3–5, cylindric, 2–6 cm long, terminal 1–2 male, lateral female with or without male flowers at the apex; bracts very shortly sheathing; glumes much shorter than the utricles and lacerate or fimbriate on the margins with the awns as long or longer than the glumes; utricles spreading when ripe or reflexed, 5–6 mm long, conspicuously nerved, membranous or submembranous, more or less stipitate, beaks 1–5–2 mm long, mouth not scabrid between the long, more or less spreading crura.

Carex fascicularis Hook. f. Carex fascicularis Sol. ex Boott in Hook. f. Flora Nov. Zel. 1: 283. 1853; Boott, Illustr. Car. 1: 53, Pl 139, 140 pl. dextra. 1858; Hook. f. Flora Tasman. 2: 101. 1858. (non C. fascicularis Sol. Ms.) C. pseudocyperus L. var. fascicularis (Sol. ex Boott in Hook. f.) Boott, Illustr. Car. 4: 141. 1864; Kukenthal, Pflanzenr. Heft 38: 696. 1909; Cheeseman, Man. N.Z. Flora ed. 2: 280. 1925. C. Forsteri Wahl. var. fascicularis (Sol. ex Boott in Hook. f.) Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Flora 1: 315. 1867. Leaves longer than the culms, 7 mm wide; culms 60–100 cm tall; female spikes (3–) 4, distant, 5–6 cm long, peduncled, nodding or pendulous; male spikes 1–2, longer than and overtopping the female, stout; female glumes 2–3–5 mm long, 1–1–3 mm at the widest, hyaline below, brownish on the upper half, fimbriate or lacerate on the margins to about the middle, scabrid on the nerves, apex acute or acuminate, excurrent along the awn, which is 2–3 mm long; utricles strongly reflexed, 5–6 mm long, 1–1–5 mm broad, ovoid or orbicular, subtrigonous or equally inflated, base with a distinct stipe 1 mm long, suddenly narrowed above into a beak 2 mm long of almost even width, 0–2 mm broad below the crura, crura 0-6-1 mm long; nut 1 -8 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, obovate, turgid, prominently 3-ribbed, style flexuous and somewhat thickened at the base. Text-fig. 2, J–N. Type. In Herb. Kew. (The following abbreviations are used for the three principal New Zealand herbaria: AM, Auckland Institute and Museum; DM, Dominion Museum, Wellington; BD, Botany Division, D.S.I.R., Christchurch. North Auckland Botanical District: Waihopai Stream, R. Mason and N. T. Moar 154 (BD 65880 and AM 35591); Kaihu River, R.M. and N.T.M. 78 (BD 65815 and AM 35492); Bay of Islands, T. Kirk (DM 2540); Otararau, Kaitaia, H. Carse and H. B. Matthews (DM 2542) South Auckland Botanical District: Maungatapere, Whangarei, H. Carse (AM 2855); Mauku, H. Carse (DM 2543). Thames Botanical District: Paeroa, Thames Valley, D. Petrie (DM 2544–2548; BD 1635 and 1637). Egmont Botanical District: Otorohanga, Waipa River, D. Petrie (DM 2541). Also in Australia, New Guinea, Java. Wrongly identified as C. pseudocyperus L. by R. Br. Prodr. 243. 1810; Cheeseman, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 16: 441. 1884; Man. N.Z. Flora 837. 1906. This species bears some points of resemblance to the Sect. Physocarpae Drejer, Subsect. Tentaculatae Tuckerm. as defined by Kukenthal in his monograph, namely, in the inflated utricles sharply contracted into a long, slender beak and the flexuous and somewhat thickened style-base. According to Kukenthal, all the species of this subsection are American. The New Guinea and Javan plants are larger than New Zealand specimens, with more numerous spikes, the female of which lack the conspicuous male flowers at the tip (fide Nelmes, “The Genus Carex in Malaysia”—Reinwardtia 1: 393. 1951). Carex maorica Hamlin Carex maorica nom. & stat. nov. based on. C. fascicularis Sol. ex Boott in Hook. f. var. minor Boott in Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 1: 283. 1853; Boott, Illustr. Car. 1: 53, PI. 140 pl. sinistra. 1858. C. Forsteri Wahl. var. minor (Boott in Hook. f.) Hook. f. Handb. N.Z.F1. 1: 315. 1864. C. pseudocyperus L. var. fascicularis Boott forma novae-selandiae (Boeck.) Kukenthal, Pflanzenr. Heft 38: 696. 1909 (based on C. Novae Selandiae Boeck. Flora 61: 169. 1878 see below). C. fascicularis Sol. Ms. Leaves longer than the culms, 3–5 mm wide; culms 30–70 cm tall; female spikes (2–)3 (–4), crowded or the lowest distant, 3–5 cms long, sessile or the lowest

Text-fig. 2. Carex maorica. A, Inflorescence; B, Utricle, dorsal view; C, side view; D, Glume C. pseudocyperus. E, Nut; F, Utricle, side view; G, Glume; H, Utricle, dorsal. C. fascicularis. J, Inflorescence; K, Utricle, ventral view; L, side view; M, Nut; N, Glume; O, Leaf surface showing cross-veinlets (arrow at midrib). N.B.—In side views of utricles the dorsal surface is to the left.

shortly pedunculate, erect; male spike solitary, usually shorter than and overtopped by, the female, slender; female glumes 1–5 mm long, 0.7 mm at the widest, fimbriate or lacerate on the margins to about the middle, hyaline with a green midrib, nerves of the midrib smooth except on the margins of the awns, apex acute, awn about 3 mm long; urticles almost straight, 5–6 mm long, 1–5 mm broad, ovate or lanceolate, biconvex or plano-convex, with an indistinct stipe 0–5 mm long, tapering above into an ill-defined beak 1–5–2 mm long, 0–5 mm wide below the crura, crura 0–5 mm long; nut elliptic, triquetrous, the angles somewhat rounded; 1–5 mm long, style straight. Text-fig. 2, A–D. Type. Banks and Solander (British Museum (Natural History) and Dominion Museum, Wellington). North Auckland Botanical District: Manuka scrub at Lake Tongonge, R. Cooper (AM 35746 and BD 69509); Keri Keri swamp, Bay of Islands, R. Mason and N. T. Moar 369 (BD 69662). South Auckland Botanical District: Maungatapere, Whangarei, H. Carse (AM 2847); Auckland, Col. Haultain in Herb. T. Kirk (DM 2535); St. John's Lake, T. F. Cheeseman (AM 2848 and DM 2532); Bethell's, Waitakere, R. D. Scott (AM 24004); Lake Mangomate, Pokeno, B. E. G. Molesworth (AM) Thames Botanical District: Kaitoke Valley, Great Barrier Island, R. Mason (BD 54042); Tirau-Te Waotu Road, Waikato, D. Petrie (DM 2526); Paeroa, Thames Valley, D. Petrie (DM 2523); Oxford, D. Petrie in Herb. L. Cockayne 1641 (DM 2537); Thames district, J. Adams (AM 14512). East Cape Botanical District: Te Whaiti, Whakatane County, D. Petrie (DM 2524); Waiapu River, East Coast, D. Petrie in Herb. L. Cockayne 9008 (DM 2539). Volcanic Plateau Botanical District: Lake Okareka, Rotorua, K. Wood (AM 28357); Kaimanawas, B. C. Aston (DM 2529); Ngamatea Swamp, southern Kaimanawa Range, N. T. Moar 685 (BD 70137 and 88228) and B. G. Hamlin (BD 68650). Egmont Botanical District: Hangatiki, Waitomo County, D. Petrie (BD 1636). Wellington Botanical District: Manawatu Gorge, c 300 feet, A. P. Druce 141 (BD 63003); Pahiatua, F. Richardson (DM 2528); Halcombe, A. J. Healy (BD 37045 and 37048); Makino, A. J. H. (BD 37049); Maewa, A. J. H. (BD 37044 and 37050); Moutoa, A. L. Poole (BD 23730) and H. H. Allan (BD 28016); Lake Kapureherehe, Otaki, N. T. Moar 440 (BD 69799); Hutt Gorge, B. C. Aston (DM 2530); Wellington, T. Kirk (DM 2533); Palliser Bay, B. G. Hamlin (BD 82969); Gollans Valley, Eastbourne, B. G. Hamlin (BD 62076) and N.T. Moar 679 (BD 64935). Sounds Botanical District: Kenepuru Head, Queen Charlotte Sound, J. H. McMahon (DM 2521); Okaromio, Marlborough, A. J. Healy (BD 25432); Tuamarina Swamp, Marlborough, R. Mason 3038 (BD 88688). Northwestern Botanical District: Wangapeka Valley, Nelson, T. F. Cheeseman (AM 2849); Lower Motueka, A. J. Healy (BD 37215 and 37216); mouth of Paturau River, B. G. Hamlin 470 (DM 2286); Birchfield, Buller County, R. Mason and N. T. Moar 2101 (BD 81621) and 2191 (BD 81073); south of Little Totara River, R.M. and N.T.M. 2425 (BD 81199). Eastern Botanical District: Cass, Canterbury, R. Mason 675 (BD 71446); Little Kowhai River, base of Mt. Torlesse, L. Cockayne 1681 (DM 2538); near Bennett's, Canterbury, R. Mason 3244 (BD 89307); Ashburton, H. H. Allan (BD 934); Lake Alexandrina, MacKenzie Plains, 2,500 feet, T. F. Cheeseman (AM 2850 and 2851); Lake Tekapo, 2,500 feet, T.F.C. (AM 2852). South Otago Botanical District: Flagstaff Hill, Dunedin, B. C. Aston (DM 2531); Catlins River, Clutha County, D. Petrie (DM 2527); Lake Waihola, E. Otago, D. Petrie (DM 2522) and R. Mason and N. T. Moar 1326 (BD 76785); Sowburn,

Maniototo County, D. Petrie (DM 2525); Lake Wakatipu, D. Petrie (AM 2853); Waikaka Valley, Southland, R. Mason and N. T. Moar 1113 (BD 76636). Wrongly identified as C. pseudocyperus L. by Cheeseman, Trans. N.Z. Inst-16: 441. 1884; Man. N.Z. Flora 837. 1906 and ed. 2: 280. 1925. This is the species given the appropriate Ms. name of “fascicularis” by Solander, as noted by Boott, and was, apparently the only one collected on Cook's first voyage. Kukenthal adopts Boeckeler's name for this taxon. The Type was destroyed in an air raid on Berlin in 1943 (Dr. G. Buchheim, pers. comm.) and no duplicate has been so far located. If Boeckeler's name were used here a Neo-type would have to be chosen, and I am unable to identify any of the specimens seen with Boeckeler's description, indeed I cannot recognise Boeckeler's plant at all except that it seems to resemble C. carsei Petrie (though not this species) more closely than any other. Moreover, Boeckeler gives the affinity not with the familiar C. pseudocyperus L. but with C. flava L. I. prefer to leave C. novae-selandiae Boeck. out of consideration until the description can be matched. The very close resemblance of C. maorica to the northern C. pseudocyperus L. has misled several botanists, and the following description is offered as a guide. Only the main distinguishing characters are given for comparison. C. pseudocyperus L. Leaves 5–12 mm wide, longer than the culms, much more harsh and scabrid; culms 40–70 cm tall, very harsh and scabrid on the angles; female spikes 3–5, more distant than in C. maorica, nodding; male spike solitary, not overtopped by the female spikes; female glumes 3–5–4–5 mm long, awn c. 4 mm long, margins lacerate almost to the base, nerves of the midrib strongly scabrid towards the top of the glume and on the surface of the awn; utricles 5–6 mm long, 1 mm wide, with a distinct stipe c. 0.8 mm long, beak tapering c. 2 mm long, c. 0–3 mm wide below the crura, crura c 1 mm long, the utricle spreading or deflexed. Text-fig. 2, E–H. Acknowledgments I wish to thank the following for assistance during the course of this study: The Director, Botany Division, Christchurch, and Dr. R. Cooper, Auckland Institute and Museum, for the loan of specimens; The Directors of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, for the photostat of Boeckeler's description, and Mr. E. Nelmes for his comments on the Kew material. Mr B. G. Hamlin, Dominion Museum, Private Bag, Wellington.