is the one referred to by him (Trans. Roy. Soc. N.Z., 1929, Vol. 60). The suggestion is there made that the plant may be a hybrid between S. sulcatus var. distigmatosa and S. inundatus. An examination of Carse's specimen shows that this particular plant is exceptional when compared with other plants of the same species in that the fruits are more mixed than is usually the case. Trigonous fruits do occur in all specimens so far examined, but are relatively few. This occurrence of mixed fruits is not unusual in many of our Scirpus species—a fact which increases the difficulty of identification. How far hybridisation may be a factor can only be cleared by research, but the writer's experience with the plants in the field and with the plants themselves leads him to think there is some other explanation. Field work and a study of plants collected from various areas do not point to the species here described being a hybrid. The following table shows the main differences between Scirpus pottsii and Scirpus sulcatus var. distigmatosa. S. pottsii S. sulcatus var. distigmatosa Range: South of lat. 38 deg., sea level to 4,400 feet. Range: N. and S. Islands; sea level to 2,000 feet. Spikelets: 2–6. Spikelets: 10–20. Glumes: Narrow, lanceolate. Glumes: Broadly–elliptic, obtuse. Styles: 2 and 3. Styles: 2. Fruit: Apiculate, broadly obovoid, surface cells indistinct. Fruit: Not apiculate, elliptic, surface cells distinct. Leaves: One. Leaves: None. Scirpus caligenis sp. nov. affinis S. aucklandicus Boeck. Planta caespitosa vel culmi relative longinquis e rhizomate distincto. Culmi erecti rigidiusculi 2–5 cm. alti. Folia 2–5 non aequalia plerum uno culmum excedente. Vagina rufo–castanea fibrillosa. Stamina 2–3 mm. longa linearis valde apiculata, apice interdum 0.4 mm. longo. Stigmata 2 Spicula una erecta stramines cum pollet 3 mm. longa 2.5 mm. lata flores 10–20 portans. Glumae carinatae praesertim inferiores carinis excurrentibus; marginibus spicem lanceolatum productis; gluma externa saepe carinata, carina spiculam aequante vel excedente 4–5 mm. longa. Bractea erecta tandem obliqua 5–20 mm. longa. Nux orbiculata vel obovata biconvexa vix apiculata cellulis distinctis 0.9–1.1 mm. longa, 0.8 mm. lata 1/2 glumae aequans nigro—brunnea mature. var. tristigmatosa similis sed nux trigona obovata basi tenuis, stigmata 3. Plant tufted or stems relatively distant from a distinct rhizome. Culms erect, somewhat rigid, 2–5 cm. high. Leaves 2–5 unequal, generally one exceeding the culm, concave, obtuse at the tip. Sheath brownish, fibrillose. Stamens 2–3 mm. long, linear markedly apiculate, tip sometimes 0.4 mm. long. Styles, 2. Spikelets, 1, erect, straw–coloured when ripe, 3 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, 10–20–flowered. Glumes keeled, and particularly in the lower ones the keel excurrent and the margins narrowing to give the glume a lanceolate appearance. Outer glume often with the keel produced equalling or exceeding the spikelets 4–5 mm. long. Bract erect, later becoming oblique, 5–20 mm. long. Nut orbicular or obovate, narrowed towards the base, biconvex scarcely apiculate, cells distinct from brown to black, when mature 0.9–1.1 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide. var. tristigmatosa similar to the above but somewhat smaller in size. Style 3 fid—nut obtusely trigonous. A variable species of which the most distinctive characteristics are the erect stramineous