JuNCUs, CLVI. JUNCACE^. 559 



2. H. DioicA. Ph. (Veratrum luteum. Linn.) Unicorn Hoot. 



St. leafy ; lis. lanceolate, radical ones oblanceolate ; rac. spiked, nodding, 

 dicEcious ; ped. short, without bracts ; sta. exserted ; segments linear. — In low 

 grounds. Can. to Ga. and La. Root premorse. Stem or scape 12 — 30' high, 

 furrowed. Radical leaves 4 — 8' by § — 1', in a sort of whorl at the base of the 

 scape. Flowers small, very numerous, greenish-white, in long, terminal, spi- 

 cate racemes which are more slender and weak on the barren plants. Ovaries 

 as long as the linear petals, subtriangular. Capsule 3-furrowed, oblong, taper- 

 ing to the base, opening at the top. The fertile plants are taller, more erect, 

 but with fewer flowers. June. 



7. TOFIELDIA. Hudson. 



In honor of Mr. Tofield, a Scotch gentleman, residing near Doncaster. 



Flowers 5 , calyculate, with 3 remotish, united bracts ; Ifts. of the 

 perianth petaloid, spreading, sessile and without bracts ; sta. 6 ; anth. 

 roundish-cordate, introrse ; ovaries 3, united ; styles distinct, short ; 

 caps. 3-lobed, 3-partible ; capsule 00-seeded. — Lvs. equitant, subradi- 

 cai. Scape not bulbous. Fls. spicate or racemose. 



T. GLUTINOSA. Nutt. 



St. leafy below, glandular-scabrous, simple : lvs. shorter than the stem, 

 linear-ensiform, glabrous, obtuse ; rac. oblong, few-flowered, close, composed 

 of 3-flowered, alternate fascicles ; caps, longer than the perianth. — Woods, Ohio, 

 Sullivant ! to Wis. Laphavi .' N. to Arctic Am. A plant remarkable for its 

 glutinous-glandular stem. Stem slender, scape-like, 1 — IJf high, dotted with 

 its dark-colored glands. Leaves 3 — 6' by 3 — 6", conduplicate. Spicate raceme 

 1 — \y long, 9 — 18-flowered. Pedicels nearly as long as the flowers. Involucre 

 truncate, 3-toothed, a little below the perianth. Petals and sepals subequal, ob- 

 lanceolate, less than 2" long. Capsule of 3, half-united, inflated carpels, twice 

 longer than the perianth. 



Order CLVI. JUNCACE^.— Kushes. 



Ptara^s herbaceous, generally grass-like, often leafless, with small, dry, green flowers. 

 Lvs. fistular, or flat and channeled, with veins parallel. Infiiyrescence cymose, capitate or fascicled. 

 Perianth more or less glume-like, regular, 6-leaved, in 2 series (sepals and petals) 

 Sta. 6, rarely 3, hypogynous. Anth. 2-celled. 



Ova. 3-carpeled, 3 (or by the dissepiments not reaching the centre 1) -celled. 

 Styles united into 1. Stigmas 3. , „ , , 



F/-.— Capsule 3-valved, with the dissepiments from the middle of the valves. 

 Seeds tew or many, with a fleshy albumen. 

 Genera 13, species 200, chiefly natives of the cool parts of the earth. Properties unimportant. 

 Conspectus of the Genera. 



< Capsule mostly 3-ceUed. Seeds numerous Juncus. l 



<t green. \ Capsule 1-celled. Seeds 3, fixed to the bottom of cell. . . . Luzula. 2 



Perianth j colored, yellow • Nanheciieni. 3 



1. JUNCUS. 



1.8.1. jungo, to join ; because ropes were anciently made of these plants. 



Perianth persistent ; stamens 6 ; capsule mostly 3-celled ; seeds 

 numerous, attached to the inner edge of the dissepiments. 



* Leaves none. Cymes apparently lateral. 



1. J. Balticus. Willd. Baltic Rush. 



Rhizoma creeping, prostrate, rooting ; scapes numerous, sheathed at base, 

 opaque, terete, rigid, slender, pungently acute ; panicle small, short, lateral ; 

 perianth segments subequal, ovate-lanceolate, very acute, equaling the elliptical, 

 mucronate" capsule. — Sandy shores, Milwaukie, Wis., Lapham! N. to the 

 Saskatchawan and Labrador. Scape leafless, 12—18' high, hard, tough, closely 

 arranged along the scaly rootstock, the sheaths 3" — 3' long. Panicle 2 — 3' be- 

 low the apex of the scape, 1' long. FloAvers 20 — 40, reddish-brown. 



2. J. ACilTUS. 



Ceespitose ; ."scopes numerous, tall, rigid, terete, sheathed at base ; panicle 



