Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Poales Small
Family
Cyperaceae Juss.
Genus
Isolepis R.Br.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Isolepis reticularis Colenso, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 18: 277 (1885 [1886])
Synonymy:
  • ≡ Scirpus reticularis (Colenso) Edgar in Moore & Edgar, Fl. N. Zeal. 2, 178 (1970)
  • = Scirpus inundatus var. gracillimus Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl. 775 (1906)
  • ≡ Isolepis inundata var. gracillimus (Cheeseman) W.R.B.Oliv., Rec. Domin. Mus. 1: 211 (1944)
 Description

Tufted, drooping, loosely carpeting the ground with lax, filiform, light green culms. Culms (4)–10–30 cm. long, < 0.5 mm. diam., smooth, compressed. Lvs 1–3, similar to culms but us. much shorter, lowermost lf reduced to a sheath 1–1.5 cm. long, red towards the base, often with a fine green mucro c. 0.3–0.5 mm. long. Infl. apparently lateral, of 1–3–(5) spikelets, often proliferous; bract subtending infl. us. much > spikelets, often filiform. Spikelets 2–5–(7) × 1–1.5–(1.7) mm., oblong-ovate, us. pale green tinged with red. Glumes 1 to slightly < 2 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, pale straw-coloured, rather transparent, or sprinkled with dark red dots, or red-striped or almost black, margins entire, pinched in at the tip below the green, slightly excurrent keel, lateral nerves conspicuous. Hypog. bristles 0. Stamens 1. Style-branches 3. Nut c. 1 × 0.5 mm., from ⅔ length of glume to c. = glume, elliptical or obovoid, trigonous, pale straw-coloured, almost white, glossy, markedly apiculate, tip not dark.

[From: Moore and Edgar (1970) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 2 as Scirpus reticularis (Colenso) Edgar]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Bibliography
Cheeseman, T.F. 1906: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Government Printer, Wellington.
Colenso, W. 1886 ("1885"): A description of some newly-discovered and rare indigenous plants: being a further contribution towards the making known the botany of New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 18: 256–287.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Not Threatened]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Not Threatened]
Muasya, A.M.; Simpson, D.A. 2002: A monograph of the genus Isolepis R.Br. (Cyperaceae). Kew Bulletin 57(2): 257–362.
Oliver, W.R.B. 1944: The vegetation and flora of D'Urville and Stephen Islands. Records of the Dominion Museum, Wellington 1: 193–227.