HEXANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Juncus. 171 



J. capitatus. Pi'eigel Ohs. 28. t.2.f.b. Ehrh. Calam. 8. Willd. 



Sp. PL V. 2. 209, syn. very doubtful. Hook. Scot. 106. 

 J. gracilis. Roth Germ. v. I. 155. v. 2. p. \. 402. 

 J.supinus. Bicheno Tr. of L. Soc.v. 12.317 ; but not of the authors 



quoted. 

 J. foliatus minimus, Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 523. f. 

 Schoenus minimus. Forster in Sym. Syn. 197. 



In sandy ground, very rare. 



Found by Mr. Hudson, below the village of Bovet, between Fort 

 George and Fernain bay, in the isle of Jersey. Synions. 



Annual ? May — July. 



Herb either solitary, or numerously and densely crowded. Root 

 fibrous, apparently annual, quite simple, neither bulbous nor 

 creeping ; fibres smooth. Stems 1 or more from the crown of 

 each root, from 1^ to 4 inches high, simple, straight, upright, 

 smooth, angular, striated, leafy at the very bottom only, and 

 bearing at the top a terminal head oi flowers, sometimes accom- 

 panied by another, near an inch below it. In one very luxuriant 

 specimen only I have seen the stem divided at this lower head, 

 and bearing 2 others above it. Leaves several, radical, sheath- 

 ing, erect, one third the height of the stem, very slender, acute ; 

 convex beneath ; channelled above, and when dry involute, quite 

 smooth ; sheathing at the base, with membranous edges. Brac- 

 teas 1 or 2 under each head, like the leaves, but much shorter 

 dilated and concave at the base. Interior bracteas from 3 to 5 

 under each head, spreading, lanceolate, acute, membranous, 

 keeled, shorter than the calyx. Fl. from 2 to 5, sometimes 10, 

 or more, in each head, crowded, spreading every way. Calyx- 

 leaves ovate-lanceolate, concave, strongly keeled, membranous, 

 light brown, without ribs ; the keel green, firm, ending in a 

 long, acute, bristly point ; 3 inner ones smallest and most deli- 

 cate. Filam. 3 only, very short, opposite to the outer leaves of 

 the calyx, j^nth. oblong, erect, spiral after flowering. Stigmas 3. 

 Caps, about the length of the stamens, not half so long as the 

 calyx, roundish, triangular, membranous, obtuse. Seeds nume- 

 rous, oblong, striated, very minute. 



Few species of Juncus, or of any other genus, have been more 

 misunderstood than this. The above description is drawn up 

 from Mr. Hudson's original specimens, kindly communicated 

 by Mr. E. Forster, and compared with those of Ehrhart and 

 other foreign botanists. None can be more distinct. The 3 sta- 

 mens mark it well ; and the broad, flat-sided, membranous calyx- 

 leaves, each with a strong keel and long taper point, but no late- 

 ral ribs, differ totally from all the neighbouring species. The 

 denomination of supinus would be peculiarly inapplicable for a 

 plant the most erect of all its tribe ; and what I have from the 

 late accurate and learned Professor Lachenal, and Mr, Davall, 

 for the indubitable J. supinus of Moench, is my uliginosus /3. So 



