294 ]\Jr. J. E. BiCHENo's Observations 



CHS campestris, Linn. " Herba Luziola vulgo ;" and the reason, as 

 Gerard informs us, is, that the heads of the flowers shine in the 

 night; "wherefore in Italy they call it Lucioln quia noctit lu- 

 cef." Taberntcmontanus and Ruppius call the family CypcrcUa; 

 Scheuchzer, Hallcr, and Alicheli, Juncoides; WiUdenow {Hort. Be- 

 roL), Lamarck and Decandollc {Flo7\ Franc), and Desvaux, have 

 established the genus under the name of Litzitla. The last-named 

 botanist has published a paper on the subject in the Journal cle 

 Botanique, vol. i. p. 131 ; and the alteration has been recognised by 

 our own learned and indefatigable countryman, Mr. Brown, in his 

 Prodromus Flora Novce HoUandice. The different habit and striking 

 character of the two families would have been enough to have 

 caused their separation; but, sanctioned by these weighty autho- 

 rities at home and abroad, it can no longer be a subject of doubt. 



In distinguishing the species of Luzula, I have derived great 

 assistance from observing the shape of the seeds, and of what I 

 have ventured to call the Coruncula, attached to them ; the figure 

 of which, if well observed, will set at rest any hesitation that may 

 exist about the British species. The same appendage is incident 

 to many of the real Junci, and may be particularly remarked in 

 J. acuttts, maritimus, triglumis, castaneus ; and in the foreign 

 J. grandiflorus, Linn., now made a new genus by Desvaux, on 

 account of this striking character, under the name of Marsippo- 

 spermnm. The seeds of Narthecium ossifragum, which is nearly 

 allied to the plants under discussion, have an integument of the 

 same nature. 



Besides the attempt to adopt a new genus into the British 

 Flora, I have given in the following pages what I conceive to be 

 amended characters of all the species of Juncus and Luzula yet 

 discovered in Great Britain; and have added some few new 

 ones, which were either imperfectly known, or regarded only as 



varieties. 



