ENGELMANN — NORTH AM. SPECIES OF JUNCUS. 451 



the subglobose, mncronate, but never retuse, capsule is not 

 yet formed. The seeds are very similar to the smaller ones 

 of J. tenuis (0.22-0.23 line long), and have the same oblique 

 white appendages, but they are coarsely lineolate, the meshes 

 being about twice as wide as in the other species ; the bulbous 

 base° of the stem, indicated by Chapman, is perhaps not 

 always so well marked. Mr. Bebb remarks that about 

 Washington, where it is abundant, the contrast in the color 

 of the mature plants of this and the last species is quite 

 striking; the latter becomes pale throughout, while J. di- 

 chotomies remains dark green, and the ripe pods assume a 

 mahogany color. — The northern limit of this species seems to 

 be oiAhe Chesapeake bay, whence it extends to Florida. 



25. J. Gerardi, Lois, notic. (1810) p. 00, ex Kunth En. 3, 

 352; Koch syn. Germ. 731, is well distinguished from J. 

 bulbosus, Linn., which has never, I believe, been found in 

 America, by the subterete stem, the much larger flowers, 

 which are as long as the capsule; by the large linear anthers 

 and very short filaments, the long style, which is equal to the 

 ovary, and by the larger seeds. These are 0.31-0.33 line 

 long, while those of J. bulbosus are only 0.23 line long; 

 both are delicately lineolate.— It is a salt water plant, and 

 is found in brackish marshes from the British possessions 

 to North Carolina, Curtis, and Florida, Ware (J. Florida- 

 mis, Raf. in Hb. Durand); inland it has been found by 

 Judge Clinton about Salina, Western New York ; and near 

 Chicago by Dr. Vasey. On the coast of New England it 

 is well known under the name of "black grass," and is cut 

 in large quantities and makes pretty good hay (Oakes). 



26. J. bufonius. Linn.; this well known weed, found all 

 over the globe, and, perhaps with the exception of J. sagi- 

 noides, the only annual Juncus of our Flora, is most variable 

 in its size, the size and disposition of the flowers, the propor- 

 tion of inner and outer sepals, and the size of the seeds. The 

 seeds are ovate, very obtuse, and commonly very slightly 

 apiculate, and delicately lineolate; 0.15-0.20 line is their 

 usual length ; I have rarely seen them 0.22 1. long, and in a 

 Galveston specimen have found them only 0.13 1. long. 



Only one marked variety has been distinguished under the 

 name of fasciculatus, Koch, or fasciculiflorus, Boiss., appa- 

 rently a southern form, common in our south-eastern States 

 and in the south of Europe ; it is also found in the interesting 

 colony of southern plants near the Philadelphia navy-yard; 

 the last three or four internodes of the branches of the inflo- 

 rescence are so much shortened that the flowers become 

 crowded into false heads, which gives the plant a very pecu- 

 liar aspect. 



