Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/777

Luzula.] Abundant throughout, from sea-level to 4500 ft.

Var. Petriana, ''Buchen. l.c.''—Rather stout, tufted, 4–12 in. high. Leaves narrow, $1⁄15$–$1⁄8$ in. broad, sparingly ciliate. Inflorescence less developed, usually with the lateral clusters shortly stipitate, but sometimes contracted into a conglobate head. Upper bracts more or less lacerate. Perianth-segments lanceolate, acute, very dark chestnut-brown without white margins or with very obscure ones. Capsule shorter than the perianth. L. Wettsteinii, ''Buchen. l.c.'', appears to be a tall excessively slender state of this.

Abundant in hilly or mountain districts, ascending to 4500 ft.

Var. picta, ''Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl.'' 292.—Slender, often flaccid, 3–18 in. high. Leaves flat, grassy. Inflorescence lax, the clusters rather few, the lateral ones peduncled. Flowers ⅛–⅙ in. long. Perianth-segments linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, with very broad white membranous margins and a narrow stripe of dark or pale chestnut-brown down the middle. Capsule shorter than the perianth, obovoid, trigonous.—L. picta, ''A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 146; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 295; Raoul, Choix, 40; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zeal. i. 265; Buchen. Monog. Junc.'' 146. L. subclavata, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xviii. (1886) 276.

Abundant throughout, usually in shaded places. Sea-level to 3500 ft.

Var. Banksiana, Buchen, l.c.—Rather stout, 3–12 in. high or more. Leaves numerous, broad, sometimes ⅓ in. across, almost equalling the stem. Inflorescence congested into a conglobate head. Flowers large, ⅙ in. long.—L. Banksiana, ''E. Mey. in Linnæa'', xxii. (1849) 412. L. picta var. Banksiana, ''Buchen. Monog. Junc.'' 147.

Locality?— I am not acquainted with this, which is probably an intermediate form between picta and australasica.

Var. australasica, ''Buchen. l.c.''—Rather stout, 3–12 in. high or more. Leaves flat, coriaceous, ⅛–⅓ in. broad; margins thickened, cartilaginous, conspicuously ciliate. Infloreseence contracted into an ovoid head ¼–¾ in. diam., often with several smaller lateral pedunculated heads. Upper bracts ciliate. Flowers about ⅛ in. long. Perianth-segments lanceolate, acuminate, margins broad, white, membranous, central stripe chestnut-brown or red. Capsule ovoid-trigonous, slightly shorter than the perianth.—L. australasica, ''Steud. Syn. Pl. Gyp.'' 294. L. Oldfieldii, ''Hook. f. Fl. Tasm.'' ii. 68; ''Handb. N.Z. Fl. 293; Benth. Fl. Austral.'' vii. 122.

Hilly and mountain districts from Taupo southwards, ascending to 4000 ft.

Var. crinita, ''Buchen. l.c.''—Stout, strict, 3–14 in. high. Leaves numerous, flat or involute, $1⁄12$–$1⁄4$ in. broad; margins thickened, densely and conspicuously ciliate. Inflorescence contracted into a compact ovoid head, sometimes with 1–3 smaller lateral peduncled ones. Lower bracts long, ciliate, involucrate; upper membranous, lacerate and densely ciliate. Flowers $1⁄10$ in. long. Perianth segments lanceolate, long-acuminate, dark chestnut-brown, sometimes almost black. Capsule almost equalling the perianth.—L. crinita, ''Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 84, t. 48; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 293; Buchen. Monog. Junc.'' 151.

Sea-level to 1400 ft. The typical form appears to be confined to the above localities, but intermediates between it and australasica and migrata are not uncommon in the mountains of the South Island.