The three plants united here under the name of L. micrantha are considered by Buchenau to represent three distinct species. I suspect that all are nothing more than depauperated short-stemmed forms of L. pumila.
3. L. pumila, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 293.—Small, densely tufted, forming small cushion-shaped masses. Stems slender, erect, 1–2 in. high. Leaves shorter than the stems, ⅓–1 in. long, linear-subulate, gradually narrowed to an obtuse tip, strict, erect, rigid, striate, channelled in front, convex behind, margins of the lower half and sheath sparingly ciliate. Inflorescence a dense terminal 4–10-flowered head; lowest bract foliaceous; the rest membranous, lacerate, pale chestnut-brown. Flowers about 110 in. long, chestnut-brown. Perianth-segments subulate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, the 3 outer distinctly larger, dark-chestnut, without pale margins or with very indistinct ones. Stamens 6, about half as long as the perianth-segments. Capsule broadly obovoid, trigonous, from ½ to ⅔ the length of the perianth, dark chestnutbrown or almost black. Seeds oblong, minutely carunculate at the base.—Buchen. Monog. Junc. 144.
South Island: Nelson—Mountains above the Wairau Gorge, T.F.C.; Mount Captain, Kirk! Canterbury—Mount Torlesse, Haast! T.F.C.; Craigieburn Mountains, Cockayne! Mount Darwin, Haast; Mount Dobson, T.F.C. Otago—Not uncommon on the central and western mountains, Petrie! 4000–6500 ft. January–February.
Best recognised by the stems distinctly overtopping the leaves, lanceolate-subulate perianth-segments, which are dark-chestnut with a very inconspicuous pale margin, and short almost black capsule.
4. L. Cheesemanii, Buchen. Monog. Junc. 146.—Small, densely tufted, forming compact patches. Stems slender, erect, 1–2 in. high. Leaves shorter than the stems or equalling them, ½–1½ in. long, linear-subulate, obtuse at the tip, rigid, concave in front, rounded on the back, grooved, margins ciliated throughout with long white hairs. Inflorescence of from 1 to 3 2–6-flowered fascicles congested into a terminal head; lowest bract leafy, often reddish, equalling the head; the remainder small, white, membranous. Flowers 19 in. long. Perianth - segments about equal, ovate-lauceolate, acute, thin, with a blackish-chestnut stripe down the centre and very broad silvery-white margins. Stamens 6, about half as long as the perianth-segments. Capsule shorter than the perianth, ovoid-globose, trigonous, mucronate, dark chestnut-brown or almost black. Seeds obliquely ovoid, minutely carunculate at the base.
South Island: Nelson—Summit of Gordon's Nob, T.F.C. Marlborough—Mount Mouatt, Kirk! Canterbury—Black Range, T.F.C.; Craigieburn Mountains, Petrie! Otago—Mount Kyeburn, Dunstan Mountains, Petrie! 4000–6000 ft. December–February.
