ENGELMANN — NORTH AM. SPECIES OF JUNCUS. 467 



40. J. brachycarpus, ii. sp. : caulibus e rbizomate crasso 

 borizontali paucis erectis (l-2' 2 -pedalibus) rigidis teretibus ; 

 panicula e capitulis globosis multi-(30-50-100)-floris paucis 

 seu pluribus simplice seu composita conferta; sepalis lanceo- 

 lato-subulatis, interioribus quam exteriora multo brevioribus 

 stamina 3 capsulamque triangulato ovatam acuminato-rostra- 

 tam unilocularem requantibus seu paulo superantibus ; anthe- 

 ris lineari-oblongis filamento multo brevioribus; stigmatibus 

 subsessilibus ovarium ovatum acuminatum fere aequantibus 

 inclusis; seminibus parvis oblanceolatis obovatisve utrumque 

 acutatis areis keviusculis reticulatis. — J. cryptocarpus, Bebb 

 in litt. 



In the Mississippi Valley from central Ohio, Sullivant, Mich- 

 igan, Folwell, Bigelow, Hb. n. 74, and Illinois, Bebb, Hall, Hb. 

 n. 63, to Missouri ! Kentucky, Short, Mississippi, Ililgard, 

 Louisiana, Hale, and Texas, Berlandier 3u9, 313, 1569, 1573, 

 and 2556 in part, Lindheimer; also, if the locality is cor- 

 rectly reported, near Charleston, S. C., Beyrich (distributed 

 as J. echinatus). — Flowers in May and June, in Texas in 

 April. — On one side this species is allied to the large-headed 

 forms of J. acuminatus, and on the other much more closely 

 to J. scirpoides, with both of which it has been confounded; 

 it has the rhizoma and the inflorescence of the latter, but its 

 very short inner sepals and short capsule at once distinguish 

 it from either. — Stems from 8-10 inches (seen mostly in Texas 

 specimens) to 2-2£ feet high, rather rigid ; heads 4-5 lines in 

 diameter, single or 2-3 together, or more commonly 5-8, or 

 even 10, in a short (1-2 inches long) contracted panicle; flow- 

 ers 1.8-2.0, and capsule 1.2, lines long, so that, as Mr. Bebb 

 remarks, at maturity the arid sepals, protruding over the al- 

 most hidden capsule, give the plant an appearance of sterili- 

 ty. Filaments twice or three times as long as the anthers; 

 seeds 0.20-0.22 line long, in shape like those of the last spe- 

 cies, but the areas are scarcely lineolate, the ribs, however, 

 are crenulate and sometimes short, transverse lines extend 

 from them into the area. Among Lindheimer's Texan speci- 

 mens are some, the heads of which are degenerated into leafy 

 excrescences. 



41. J. scirpoides, Lamarck, Enc. 3, 267 (E. Meyer in Linn. 

 3, 370): caulibus (1-4-pedalibus) e rhizomate borizontali 

 crasso albido rigidis strictis (seu raro decumbentibus) foliosis; 

 capitulis globosis multifloris paucis seu pluribus; sepalis 

 subulatis eaepiua aristato-acutissimis demum rigidis spinescen- 

 tibus ; staminibus 3 ; capsula triangulato-pyramidata subulata 

 unilocular!; seminibus oblanceolatis obovatisve utrumque 

 acute apiculatis areis sublaevibus reticulatis. — J. polycephalus, 

 Michx. Fl. 1, 192 ; Pursh, Fl. 1, 237 ; Mey. June. 33. 



Var. a. macrostemon : caulibus ( 1-2-pedalibus) foliisque 



