RUSH FAMILY. 381 
Family 17. JUNCACEAE Vent. Tabl. 2: 150. 1799.* 
RUSH FAMILY. 
Perennial or sometimes annual, grass-like, usually tufted herbs, commonly 
growing in moist places. Inflorescence usually compound or decompound, pani- 
culate, corymbose, or umbelloid, rarely reduced to a single flower, bearing its 
flowers singly, or loosely clustered, or aggregated into spikes or heads. Flowers 
small, regular, with or without bractlets (prophylla). Perianth 6-parted, the 
parts glumaceous. Stamens 3 or 6, rarely 4 or 5, the anthers adnate, introrse, 
2-celled, dehiscing by a slit. Pistil superior, tricarpous, 1-celled or 3-celled, 
with 3-many ascending anatropous ovules, and 3 filiform stigmas. Fruit a locu- 
licidal capsule. Seeds 3-many, small, cylindric to subglobose, with loose or 
close seed-coat, with or without caruncular or tail-like appendages. 
Seven genera and about 200 species, widely distributed. 
Leaf-sheaths open; capsule 1- or 3-celled, many-seeded; placentae parietal or axial. 1. Juncus. 
Leat-sheaths closed; capsule 1-celled, 3-seeded, its placenta basal. 2. Juncotdes. 
PUN CU Sma sp. Pls325) (753): 
Usually perennial plants, principally of swamp habitat, with glabrous herbage, stems 
leaf-bearing or scapose, leaf-sheaths with free margins, and leaf blades terete, gladiate, grass- 
like, or channeled. Inflorescence paniculate or corymbose, often unilateral, sometimes con- 
gested, bearing its flowers either singly and with 2 bractlets ( prophylla), or in heads and with- 
out bractlets, but each in the axil of a bract; bractlets almost always entire; stamens 6 to 3; 
ovary tI-celled or by the intrusion of the placentae 3-celled, the placentae correspondingly 
parietal or axial; seeds several-many, usually distinctly reticulated or ribbed, often tailed. 
About 150 species, most abundant in the north temperate zone. The species bloom in summer. 
(Latin, from /ungo, to bind, in allusion to the use of these plants for withes.] 
A. Lowest leaf of the inflorescence terete, not conspicuously channeled, erect, appearing like a con- 
tinuation of the stem, the inflorescence therefore appearing lateral; stem leaves none. 
. Flowers bracteolate, inserted singly on the branches of the inflorescence. GENUINI. 
Perianth-parts green, or in age straw-colored. 
Perianth-parts equalling or exceeding the capsule, all acute. 
Stamens 3; leaf of the inflorescence much shorter than the stem. 
Capsule without a distinct apical papilla. . J. effusus. 
Capsule with a distinct apical papilla. 2. J. conglomeratus. 
Stamens 6; leaf of inflorescence about equalling the stem, or longer. 3. J. filiformts. 
Perianth-parts reaching only the middle of the capsule, inner obtuse. 4. /. gvmmnocarpus. 
Perianth-parts with a chestnut-brown stripe down either side of the midrib. 5. We Balticus. 
2. Flowers not bracteolate, inserted in heads on the branches of the inflorescence. THALASSICI. 
Perianth-parts pale brown; seed tailless. 6. J. Roemerianus. 
Perianth-parts green, or in age straw-colored; seed tailed. 7. J. maritimus. 
B. Lowest leaf of the inflorescence not appearing like a continuation of ays stem, or if so, con- 
spicuously channeled along the upper side, the inflorescence usually appearing terminal. 
1. LEAF-BLADE TRANSVERSELY FLATTENED (INSERTED WITH ITS FLAT SURFACE FACING THE 
STEM ), OR TERETE AND CHANNELED, NOT PROVIDED WITH SEPTA. 
+ Flowers bracteolate, inserted singly on the branches of the inflorescence, sometimes clustered or 
congested, but never in true heads. POIOPHYLLI. 
Annual; inflorescence, exclusive of its leaves, more than one-third the height of the plant. 
8. J. bufontus. 
Perennial; inflorescence, excluding leaves, not one-third the height of the plant. 
Leaf-blade flat, but sometimes involute in drying. 
Inflorescence 1-3-flowered; leaves with fimbriate auricles. 9. J. trifidus. 
Inflorescence, except in depauperate specimens, several-many-flowered; leaves with 
entire auricles. 
Cauline leaves 1 or 2, rarely wanting; perianth-parts obtuse. 10. J. Gerardi, 
Cauline leaves none; perianth parts acute or acuminate. 
Inflorescence usually much exceeded by its lowest leaf; flowers seldom plainly 
secund; perianth 1%'’-2%"' long, usually exceeding the capsule; capsule ob- 
ovoid, broadly rounded at the apex, the placentae eg cree half way to the 
axis. J. tenuis, 
Inflorescence rarely exceeded by its lowest leaf; flowers plainly secund on the 
branches; perianth 1''-2'’ long, equalling the capsule; capsule oblong, 
3-sided, truncate at the apex; placentae meeting in the axis. 12. /. secundus. 
Leaf-blade terete, channeled along the upper side. 
Lowest leaf of inflorescence not four lengths of the panicle; capsule oblong to obovoid. 
Seed tailed. 13. J. Vaseyt. 
Seed not tailed. 
Perianth r4''-1'4"' long, plainly exceeded by the capsule. 14. /. Greenet. 
Perianth 1%'’-2'’ long, not exceeded by the capsule. 15. J. dichotomus. 
Lowest leaf of the inflorescence rarely less than four times as long as the panicle; 
capsule globose-ovoid. 16, J. selaceus. 
* Text contributed by Mr. FREDERICK V. COVILLE. 
