CoLENSO. — On new PhcBnogamic Plants. 269 



however, on the one hand A. spicata, Col.,* (which also very 

 rarely flowers,) and servmg to unite that small species in a 

 natural and progressive series with the larger species of the genus. 

 I yet hope to succeed in ohtaining the perfect male flowers 

 durmg the approaching summer. 



Order IX.— JUNCE^. 



Genus 1. Juncus, Linn. 



1. J. hixurians, sp. nov. 



Plant perennial ; stout, tall, dark-green, forming thick 

 bushy tufts and patches, that are sub-erect, drooping, and pros- 

 trate ; rhizome creeping, with many small scale-like bracts, and 

 sending up numerous new shoots every year ; roots fibrous. 

 Culms terete, leafless, 6-8^ feet long, 2 lines diameter below, 

 smooth, minutely striate, upper portions soft and tender ; tips 

 very acuminate and sharp ; the bases brown, glossy, with 3-4 

 adpressed sheathing bracts, the longest about 12 inches long; 

 tips of bracts thin, very obtuse, sometimes acute ; pith soft, 

 woolly, and not continuous, yet not regularly broken or jointed. 

 Panicle lateral, 8-12 inches from tips, large, effuse, pale-green, 

 fascicled, sub 20 branchlets mostly compound ; 1-3 being very 

 large, stout, compressed, 2-3 inches long, each bearing at tip 

 sub 10 compound branchlets ; involucral bracts 1|- lines long, 

 ovate- acuminate, very acute, membranous, white with a brown 

 central nerve. Flowers -^ inch long, bibracteolate at base ; 

 bracteoles ovate, acute, membranous, white ; pedicelled, pedicels 

 long slender ; perianth segments lanceolate-acuminate, very 

 acute, rather longer than capsule, their centres bright green 

 with broad white membranous margins. Stamens, 8 ; anthers 

 small, yellow, oblong, with a minute connective ; filaments 

 short, rather broad. Stigmas 8, long and spreading, rumpled, 

 plumose, dark-red. Capsule sub-prismatic, turgid, obtuse, very 

 light brown, or dirty-white, shining, less than 1 line long. Seeds 

 small, numerous, bright yellowish-brown, convex, oblong, sub- 

 clavate ; testa not produced. 



Hah. In wet swampy hollows between hills, in a dense 

 forest south of Norsewood, County of Waipawa ; 1885-6, W.C. 



Obs. This remarkably fine rush is found growing in middle- 

 sized tufts, and also in very large and dense patches, with the 

 ground thickly strewed with them in a prostrate state, forming 

 several layers, all living and dark-green. It is rather difficult 

 to force one's way through a large sub-erect patch, owing to 

 their height, their very close growth, and their being so greatly 



* Vide " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xiv., p. 335 (female) ; and vol. xvi., p. 340 



(male). 



