VOL. XIV, PP. 87-89 JUNE 19, 1901 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



JUNCUS COLUMBIAN US, AN UNDESCRIBED RUSH 

 FROM THE COLUMBIA PLAINS. 



By FREDERICK V. COVILLE. 



At the request of Professor C. V. Piper, of Pullman, Wash 

 ington, I publish at this time a description of a Juncus from 

 the Columbia Plains, which belongs to the difficult and perplex 

 ing group of which Watson's Jitncus new/t/ciittift is the best 

 known representative. 



Juncus columbianus sp. nov. 



Plant perennial, 20 to 70 cm. high, tufted, erect: rootstocks about 2 

 mm. in diameter, horizontal, the yearly growth commonly 1.5 to 3 cm.: 

 stems nearly terete, commonly 1.5 to 2 mm. in diameter at the base, , 

 much slenderer above, with 1 or 2 or rarely 3 leaves; basal leaves few, 

 sheaths with broad membranaceous margins, auricles conspicuous, 2 to 8 

 mm. long, and blades terete, sometimes 20 cm. in length, inconspicu 

 ously nodose, usually erect: cauline leaves similar to the basal, the upper 

 with shorter blades; leaves of the inflorescence reduced to scarious 

 bracts, the lowest occasionally with a herbaceous blade; inflorescence 

 rarely exceeding 7 cm. in height, bearing commonly 4 to 8 or sometimes 

 even 20 glomerules, rarely reduced to a single one; perianth 3 to 3.5 mm. 

 in length, at maturity of a pale reddish brown>color or stramineous, its 

 parts narrowly lanceolate with setose apex, stamens f> or sometimes re 

 duced to 3 by the abortion of those opposite the inner perianth parts, 



13 BIOL, Soc. WASH. VOL. XIV, 1901. (87) 



