CLASS VI. ORDER I.] JUNCUS. 507 



salt marshes not far from the sea, while /. compressus is found in in- 

 land, and not only saline marshes. The whole plant is taller andrauch 

 more slender. The stem compressed, erect, smooth, bearing a solitary 

 leaf frequently above the middle. Leaves erect, mostly numerous from 

 the base of the stem, long, slender, bristle-shaped from the sides being 

 rolled inwards, or flat, and channeled above, smooth, striated, especially 

 below, and is dilated into a thin sheathing base, with pale membranous 

 margins, elongated at the top into a short obtuse ligula, the sheaths 

 long, smooth, striated, closely enveloping the base of the stem. Panicle 

 small, sub-corymbose, the branches erect, roundish, smooth, two or 

 three, one longer than the others, and reaching beyond the slender 

 leafy hractea which is flat. Channelled with a short striated sheath. 

 Floivers few, distant, mostly solitary. Perianth of six equal oblong 

 obtuse pieces, narrower than in J. compressus, the outer ones with a 

 longer incurved point, of a darker colour, and with a narrower green 

 keel. Stamens scarcely the length of the perianth, with short Jila- 

 mentSj and yellow oblong twisted anthers. Style as long as the 

 stamens, with spreading stigmas, the capsule is longer, obtuse, but 

 distinctly triangular, pointed by the base of the style, and as long, 

 sometimes longer, than the perianth, and of a darker colour than 

 J. compressus. 



Habitat, — Saline marshes ; frequent. 



Perennial ; flowering in August. 



How far we are correct in following Bicheno, Smith, and others, in 

 making this a species rather than a variety, according to Hooker and 

 Greville, we must leave to further investigation. We have endeavoured 

 to point out the distinction between the two as far as our researches 

 have been made, and think it is equally as distinct a species as some 

 others that are made so. 



18. J. bufo'nius, Linn. (Fig. 579.) Toad Rush. Stem simple, or 

 branched, leafy ; leaves linear, bristle-shaped, channeled above, erect; 

 panicle forked, with solitary nearly sessile unilateral distant flowers, 

 longer than the bractea ; perianth of six lanceolate long taper pointed 

 equal pieces, longer than the elliptic oblong obtuse capsule. 



English Botany, t. 802. — English Flora, vol. ii. p. 168.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 168. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 274. 



Root of very numerous long branched fibres. Stems numerous, 

 tufted, crowded, erect or spreading, slender, simple, or more generally 

 branched and leafy, round, or somewhat angular. Panicle terminal, 

 of two or several branches of unequal lengths, longer than the bractea, 

 more or less forked with a solitary flower in the axis of the divarication. 

 Bractea leafy, sheathing at the base with narrow pale membranous 

 margins. Leaves numerous at the base, and mostly one, two, or three 

 upon the stem, linear, bristle shaped, flat above, channeled at the base, 

 and dilated into a thin sheathing base, with white thin membranous 

 margins, somewhat auriculated at the top, but not forming a ligula, 



