minal (or in a few species apparently lateral) flaring panicle either of individual 

 flowers subtended by pairs of scalelike bracts or usually of glomerules or heads 

 of flowers, the flowers of the heads being subtended by 3 or only a single scale- 

 like bract or occasionally the inflorescence reduced to only a single glomerule or head; 

 perianth of 6 separate scales in 2 series, an outer whorl of 3 (sepals) and an 

 inner whorl of 3 (petals), these all usually of about the same scalelike chartaceous 

 to hyaline texture, narrowly ovate to lanceolate or subulate, usually sharply 

 acute; stamens 3 or 6, when 3 then opposite the sepals (at the corners of the 

 capsule); filaments basally united into a minute flange around (but free from) 

 the ovary; carpels 3; styles 3; placentas 3; ovary superior, 1- to 3-locular; placentas 

 axile or by reduction of the septa more or less parietal; capsules loculicidal; 

 ovules and seeds minute, 3 to many. 



A family of about 9 genera and 400 species very widely distributed but not 

 as common in the tropics as in cool, wet climates. 



1. Seeds numerous 1. Juncm 



1. Seeds 3 2. Luzula 



l.JuncusL. Rush. Bog-rush 



Characters of the family but seeds numerous, never only 3. Rushes and sedges 

 (Cyperaceae) are often confused by those who do not take the trouble to look 

 at the flowers, which are diagnostic. The certain identification of any species (of 

 sedge or rush) requires mature or nearly mature fruit and usually the examination 

 of it under a strong lens. 



A cosmopolitan genus of perhaps 300 species. Rushes have some forage value, 

 but are nowhere abundant enough to be of much economic importance. 



The seeds of many species are eaten by various bird life and the vegetative 

 parts of some species, such as /. effusus, are sparingly eaten by muskrats, deer 

 and, to some extent, by wildfowl. 



1. Inflorescence pseudolateral, the stem appearing to continue beyond it; leaves 

 never septate (2) 



1. Inflorescence terminal or both terminal and lateral with either long or short 



leafy bracts (10) 



2(1). Flowers 1 to 3 (rarely more); seeds with long white tails at each end; 

 alpine plants 15 to 35 cm. tall 1. /. Drmnmondii. 



2. Flowers many; seeds not tailed or only slightly so; plants usually taller than 



30 cm. (3) 



3(2). Stems relatively slender, not very rigid; inflorescence not glomerate: flowers 

 mostly solitary, subtended by a pair of bracteoles in addition to 

 the bracteole at the floriferous node (4) 



3. Stems coarse, rigid; inflorescence in head-like clusters or glomerules; basal 



leaf sheaths with terete, pungent blades (8) 



4(3). Rhizomes much-branched, forming extensive mats in the mud; stamens 

 6; capsule narrowly ovoid, acute (5) 



4. Rhizomes (if present) very short and not extensively creeping or branching, 



the plants thus essentially tufted; stamens 3, the anthers about 

 equalling the filaments; capsules obovoid and obtuse or nearly 

 spherical (7) 



5(4). Perianth segments 2.5-3.5 mm. long; anthers shorter than the filaments.... 

 2. /. filiforniis. 



5. Perianth segments 3.5-5 mm. long; anthers about 4 times as long as the fila- 



ments (6) 



6(5). Culms essentially terete, 1-2.5 mm. thick basally, not twisted; bract 3 to 

 8 times as long as the inflorescence 3. J. balticus. 



606 



