305 
3. JUNCUS POLYCEPHALUS Michx, 
Juncus polycephalus Michx. Fl]. Bor. Amer. 1: 192. 1803. 
Juncus polycephalus crassifolius Michx. Fl]. Bor. Amer. 1: 193. 
1803. 
Juncus nodosus polycephalus Pers. Syn. Pl. 1: 384. 1805. 
Juncus echinatus Muhl. Cat. 36. 1813.* 
Juncus scirpoides var. polycephalus forma minor Engelm. Trans. 
St, Louis Acad. 2: 468. 1868. 
Juncus Engelmanni Buch. Krit. Verz. Junc. 67. 1880. 
Plant robust, about 1 meter high; leaf-blades in most cases 
gladiate, 3-8 mm. broad and with incomplete septa, sometimes 
merely compressed, narrower and with complete septa; fruiting 
heads 8-12 mm. in diameter; stamens one-half to three-fourths as 
long as the petianth, the anthers included; valves of the capsule 
united above in dehiscence and usually with conspicuously involute 
margins; the beak well defined, commonly 2 mm. in length and 
not splitting at maturity. 
From North Carolina to Florida and westward through the 
Gulf States to Texas. This species, on account of its gladiate 
leaves, has been placed by Dr. Buchenau in the group with 
Juncus xiphioides and J. oxymeris, but its true relationship is un- 
questionably with /. scirpoides, as indicated by its flowers and fruit. 
JUNCUS VALIDUS nom. nov. 
Juncus scirpoides polycephalus forma major. Engelm. Trans. St. 
Louis Acad. 2: 468, 1888. 
Juncus crasstfolius Buch. Monog. Junc. 326. 1890. Not /. 
polycephalus crassifolius Michx. 1803. 
Plant 40 to 100 cm. high, stout and stiff; leaf-blades com- 
pressed, but never gladiate, 2 to 4 mm. wide, the septa complete ; 
fruiting heads 12 to 15 mm. in diameter; perianth 4 to 5 mm. 
long; stamens about one-half as long as the perianth, the anthers 
included; capsule exceeding the perianth, its valves flat, separat- 
ing throughout in dehiscence or sometimes slightly united above; 
no well defined solid beak present. : 
A plant of the southern prairie region, extending from Arkan- 
sas to Indian Territory, Oklahoma, and Texas on the west, and 
_to Mississippi on the east. 
* Muhlenberg based his name upon the ¥. folycephalus of Michaux, evidently 
not distinguishing the two varieties which Michaux included therein. 
