37. C. comans, Berggr. in Minnesk. Fisiog. Sallsk. Lund. (1877) 28, t. 7, f. 15–19.—Densely tufted, pale-green or reddish. Culms very slender, filiform, quite smooth, leafy, usually 6–18 in. high, but sometimes elongating in fruit and prostrate. Leaves longer or shorter than the culms, very narrow, filiform, 130–115 in. broad, flat or concave in front, slightly rounded at the back, grooved and striate; margins scabrid. Spikelets 5–7, linear-oblong, ⅓–¾ in. long, ⅛–⅕ in. broad; terminal one (rarely two) male, very slender; remainder all female, sometimes with a few male flowers at the base, usually distant, the lowermost sometimes almost basal, the upper two sessile, the rest on filiform peduncles, that of the lowermost often elongate; bracts long, filiform, far overtopping the spikelets. Glumes ovate, usually bifid, with a short hispid awn, membranous, pale-brown or red-brown; margins lacerate. Utricles rather longer than the glumes, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, plano-convex or unequally biconvex, smooth or obscurely ribbed on the convex face, gradually narrowed into a rather long bidentate beak; margins sharply serrate above. Styles 3. Nut trigonous.—Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 436. C. Cheesemanii, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv. (1883) 358; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 437.
Var. pulchella, C. B. Clarke, MS.—Smaller. Spikelets usually 4, the lowermost remote and basal. Utricles shorter and broader, ovate-oblong, often smooth; beak shorter.—C. pulchella, Berggr. in Minneskr. Fisiog. Sallsk. Lund. (1877) 29, t. 7, f. 20–26.
Var. stricta, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiv. (1892) 415.—Pale whitish-green. Culms short, 4–8 in. high, barely half the length of the strict erect leaves. Spikelets and glumes shining whitish-green. Utricles larger and broader, elliptic-ovoid, pale. Perhaps a distinct species.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island: Not uncommon from Ahipara and Mongonui southwards. Var. pulchella: Bealey, Berggren! Maniototo Plain, Petrie! Var. stricta: Lake Tekapo, T.F.C. Sea-level to 3500 ft. November–February.
A very variable species, best separated from its allies by the filiform culms and leaves, narrow rather remote spikelets, and lanceolate or elliptic lanceolate utricles, sharply toothed above. Mr. Petrie's C. Cheesemanii usually has longer culms and rather broader utricles, but passes so gradually into the type that it cannot be distinguished even as a variety. I have followed Mr. C. B. Clarke in reducing Berggren's C. pulchella to C. comans, the differences between the two being of no very great importance.
38. C. plesiostachys, C. B. Clarke MS. in Herb. Kew.—Pale-green, densely tufted, with much of the habit of C. comans. Culms short, slender, quite smooth, leafy almost to the top, 4–9 in. long. Leaves much exceeding the culms, 12–20 in. long, narrow, 120–115 in. broad, flat in front, slightly convex behind, grooved; margins shghtly scabrid. Spikelets 5–6, pale stramineous, closely approximate, the lowest not remote, ⅓–¾ in. long; terminal one male, slender; remainder all female, sometimes with a few male flowers
