158 HEXANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Juncus. 



In the rivers of Norfolk plentiful. On Hillingdon common, Middle- 

 sex, and in other places about London. Relhan, Sibthorp, Abbot 

 and Purton have it in their Floras. In Scotland it is unknown. 



Perennial. June. 



Root thick, rather spongy, with many long radicles, aromatic, like 

 every part of the herbage, but much more powerfully so. Leaves 

 erect, 2 or 3 feet high, bright green, near an inch broad. Stalk 

 like the leaves, except being thicker below the spadix, and not 

 quite so tall. Spadix about a foot above the root, a little spread- 

 ing, 2 or 3 inches long, tapering, covered with a mass of very 

 numerous, thick-set, pale green flowers, which have no scent, 

 except when bruised. A very narrow wavy membrane may be 

 observed at the base of the spadix, which perhaps ought to be 

 taken into the generic character as a spatha. 



The Jlowers are rare. The dried root powdered is used, by the 

 country people in Norfolk, for curing the ague. On the Mayor's 

 day, in June, the cathedral of Norwich, and some of the streets, 

 have from time immemorial been strewed, or decorated, with 

 this plant, which, when trodden upon, smells somewhat like 

 myrtle ; but having become less plentiful, its place is now 

 partly supplied by Iris Pseud-acorus, or the larger kinds of 

 Carex. 



198. JUNCUS. Rush. 



Linn. Gen. \73. Juss.44. Ft. Br. 374. Mich. Gen. 37 . t.3\ . Br. 

 Prodr.258. Bicheno Tr. of L. Soc. v. 12. 297. Lam. f. 250. 

 Gcertn. t.\b. 



Nat. Ord. Tripetaloidece. lAnn. 5. JuJici. J uss. 13. N. 199 

 the same. 



Cal. uiferior, of six oblong, acute, permanent leaves ; 3 of 

 them internal and rather the smallest. Cor. none. Fi- 

 lam. capillary, short, attached to the base of the calyx- 

 leaves; 3 of them sometimes wanting. Anth. oblong, 

 erect, of 2 cells, bursting lengthwise. Germ, superior, 

 triangular. Style simple, cylindrical, short, deciduous. 

 Stigmas 3, elongated, tapering, downy. Caps, triangular, 

 smooth, invested with the permanent calyx, of 3 cells, and 

 3 firm valves with central partitions. Seeds very nume- 

 rous, minute, roundish, inserted all along the inner edge 

 of each partition, often furnished with a partial tu7iic. 



Roots fibrous, or creeping, mostly perennial. Herbage 

 smooth. Stem simple, naked, or more or less leafy; 

 spongy within, rigid, sometimes spinous at the summit. 

 Leaves alternate, channelled or flat, undivided, and for 

 the most part, if not invariably, entire; sometimes inter- 

 nally cellular. Fl. lateral or terminal, panicled, or some- 



