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Carex forsteri Wahlenberg
Carex forsteri Wahlenberg, Vet. Akad. Nya Handl. Stockholm 24: 154, 1803; (Forsteri) based on C. recurva Schkuhr, Riedgr. 120, Pl. Z and Nn. Fig. 84, 1801; non Huds. (Lectotype: New Zealand, Forster (K! photo)).
C. punctulata A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 119, Pl. 22. 1832 (Havre del' Astrolabe).
C. sexspicata Colenso, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 16: 342. 1884 [?].
C. semi-Forsteri C. B. Clarke in Cheeseman, Man. N.Z. Flora 836, 1906 (Colenso 1622!)
Leaves much longer than the culms, up to 1.2 cm wide; culms up to 70 cm tall; spikes 5–8, upper 1–3 wholly or partly male, remainder female with some male flowers at the bases, (5–) 6–8 (–10) cm long, 1 cm wide, green or grey-green; glumes 3–4 mm long, lanceolate, acute, awns ± 0.5 mm long; utricles 4–5 mm long, 1–1.2 mm wide, lanceolate, subcoriaceous, nerves 6–7, strongly ridged, green becoming grey between the ridges, tapering to a beak ± 1.5 mm long, abaxial surface scabrid below the mouth, crura 0.25 mm long, mouth distinctly oblique ventrally, 0.5 mm from ventral base to dorsal apex. Text-fig. 1, A–D.
North Auckland Botanical District: Whangarei, Carse (AK 2841).
South Auckland Botanical District: Waikato, Kirk (WELT 1169).
Thames Botanical District: Karaka Creek, Thames, Cheeseman (AK 2842); Paeroa, Petrie (WELT 1170).
East Cape Botanical District: Te Whaiti, Whakatane County, Petrie (WELT 1171); Waikaremoana, Mason (CHR 54043).
Wellington Botanical District: Te Puna, Wanganui County, coastal forest, Healy (CHR 37043, 37051, 90338A); Sandon Road Bush near Feilding, Zotov (CHR 288); Waterworks Reserve, Palmerston North, Carse (WELT 1172); Kapiti Island, no collector cited (CHR 1689); Norsewood, Colenso (WELT 1176); Porirua, Kirk (WELT 1173); Mungaroa [Kirk] (WELT 1174); Haywards, streamside in forest remnant, Allan (CHR 25404); Gollans Valley [Aston] (WELT 1175); Mt. Hawtrey, Days Bay, Wellington, 1,000 feet, Poole (CHR 64320); Matthews Station, Wairarapa, Mason (CHR 56267); Mt. Matthews, Rimutaka Range, 1,000 feet, Zotov (CHR 6530); coast north of Mukumuku Stream, Palliser Bay, streambank, Hamlin (CHR 82968); Mt. Ross, Aorangi Mts., Zotov (CHR 59205); Aorangi Mts., c. 660 m alt., Hamlin 590 (WELT 1177).
Sounds Botanical District: Stephen Island, Gibbs (CHR 68558) & Hamlin 398 (WELT 2287); Wainui Reserve, D'Urville Island, Oliver (WELT 1178); Point Hardy, D'Urville Island, coastal scrub, Moore (CHR 28726); French Pass, Oliver (WELT 1179); Akatoa Valley, Sounds, Marlborough, McMahon (WELT 1180); Akatoa Saddle track, Mt. Stokes, Healy (CHR 25122); Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, Druce (CHR 84641); Okaramio, Kaituna Valley, 2,000 feet, Healy (CHR 37047).
North-Eastern Botanical District: Mt. Fyffe, Kaikoura Mts. [Kirk] (WELT 1181).
North-Western Botanical District: Wangapeka Valley, Cheeseman (AK 2843); Paturau River, N.W. Nelson, Hamlin 479 (WELT 1183); valley of the Buller, Kirk 889 (WELT 1182); S.W. Nelson, Townson (WELT 1184); vicinity of West-port, Townson 26B (AK 2844).
Eastern Botanical District: Akaroa, Kirk (WELT 1186) and Healy 55/112 coastal forest along creek (CHR 91456B); Springfield, Canterbury, Talbot (CHR 51062); eastern South Island, Allan (CHR 1738); Geraldine Reserve, bush remnant, Mason 3264 (CHR 89335).
South Otago Botanical District: Dunedin, Thomson (AK 2845); Ross Creek, Dunedin, Holdsworth (OTAGO 3004); Whisky Gully, Blue Mountains, Cockayne (WELT 1185).
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Herb. Colenso: No localities (AK 2834); 1622 (AK 2838); 4189 (AK 2833).
There are further specimens labelled “Kermadec Islands, Cheeseman” in Petrie's collection (WELT 1168); Cheeseman's herbarium contains only C. kermadecensis Petrie from this locality and there may have been some mixing of labels. Until the occurrence of both species is confirmed, the record must remain doubtful.
The name C. forsteri Wahl. is based on C. recurva Schkuhr, the latter being founded on Forster's specimens received by Schkuhr under the MS. names of C. hamata (in flower) and C. debilis (in fruit). Neither of these specimens is now in the herbarium of the University of Halle (K. Werner, pers. comm.). There is a Forster specimen in the herbarium of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, of which I have a photograph by courtesy of Mr. V. D. Zotov, and this, together with the illustrations accompanying Schkuhr's description, leave no doubt as to the identity of the species. The mature culm on the Kew sheet is therefore selected as the lectotype.