504 JUNCUS. [CLASS VI. ORDER 1. 



situation of its growth ; for when it has grown in a moderately dry 

 sandy soil its stems are perfectly erect, and vary from one to two feet 

 high ; hut in a more luxuriant situation, we have seen it nearly three 

 feet high : sometimes it has numerous leaves hoth about its roots and 

 stem, and not unfrequently it is without root leaves, and hut few on the 

 stems. If it has grown in marshy places, the stems are often decum- 

 hent and rooting ; and if the ground becomes overflowed with water, 

 the stems become floating, and put out roots and flowering stems at 

 various intervals; and the J. nigritellus, of D. Don, we think only a 

 variety caused by its place of growth : its perianths and capsules are 

 paler and narrower, and seem, as Sir W. J. Hooker observes, to unite 

 J. lampocarpus with J. acutiflorus. 



14. J.obtusi'JloruSy Ehrh, {Fig. 575.) Blunt Jloivered jointed Rush. 

 Stem and leaves round; leaves appai'ently jointed ; panicle very com- 

 pound, its branches divaricated and reflexed ; perianth of six equal 

 obtuse segments, as long as the ovate obtuse three angled capsule. 



English Botany, t. 2144.— English Flora, vol. ii. p. 176. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 166. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 276. — J. bifolius, 

 Hopp. tascheub. — J. refiexus, Rafn. dau. 



Root of siout branched downy fibres, and creeping underground 

 stems. Stems erect, round, smooth, rather stout, with internal par- 

 titions, from one to three feet high, bearing two or three leaves, which 

 are erect, round, stout, tapering upwards into a pungent point, alter- 

 nate, dilated at the base into thin sheaths, with a membranous margin 

 obtusely ligular at the top, hollow, with numerous transverse par- 

 titions, which are very distinct in a dry state ; at the base of the stem 

 is one, seldom more leaves, and several dried sheaths of various lengths, 

 obtuse, with a lanceolate or bristle point, and more or less deeply 

 striated. Panicle terminal, rather large, with numerous round branches, 

 repeatedly divided from diff^erent points, and spreading, the ultimate 

 branches reflexed; heads o( Jlowers numerous, of from two to five 

 sessile crowded flowers, each having a pale bractea at its base. Perianth 

 of six oblong obtuse pieces, with an obtuse keel and brown membranous 

 margins. Stamens rather shorter than the perianth. Style rather long, 

 with spreading stigmas, and the capsule ovate, obtuse, three angled, 

 terminating in a point, about as long as the perianth, of a pale shining 

 brown colour. 



Habitat. — Bog and wet marshy places ; much less common than 

 the two last species. 



Perennial ; flowering in August. 



15. J. uligVnosuSf Sibth. (Fig, 576.) Lesser jointed Bog Rush. 

 Stem often swollen at the base, erect, decumbent, or creeping and 

 rooting; leaves bristle-shaped, grooved above; panicle nearly simple, 

 irregular, with remote heads, of nearly sessile, few, or many flowers; 

 perianth of six oblong acute pieces, rather shorter than the elliptic 

 obtuse capsule. 



