328 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 

 Order LIUALES. 



Differs from the previous order in having the endsperm of 

 the seed fleshy or horny. 



Family JUNCACE^. Rushes. 



Grass-like plants often popular^r confused with the sedges, 

 but easily distinguished by the fact that they have perfect flowers 

 with three acute stiff petals and three similar sepals which per- 

 sist around the nearly spherical or cylindrical seed capsule. 

 Seeds abundant, very minute (spore like), often with an 

 elongated "tail" at each end. Common mostly in damp ground 

 or in water throughout our region. 



Plozvering or Fruiting Data. — The time of year noted in- 

 dicates the season when the capsules are full-grown (but not 

 necessarily mature), through the period of dehiscence (i. e., as 

 long as there are present undehisced capsules). 



Key to the Species. 



a. Plant not hairy, leaf sheaths open. 



b. Inflorescence apparently growing from the side of the scape, not 



from the end (the part above the inflorescence is really the involucral 



leaf which is terete and appears exactly like a continuation of the 



scape). 



c. Sheaths at base of the scape leafless. Jnncus eifusus, p. 329 



cc. Sheaths, or at least the inner one, bearing long terete scape-like 



leaves. /. setacens, p. 332 



hh. Inflorescence obviously terminal. 



c. Leaver flat or somewhat terete, never septate. 



d. Flowers inserted singly on the branches of the inflorescence, 

 each with a small bract. 



e. Annual, root fibrous, inflorescence more than one-third the 

 height of the plant. /. bufonius, p. 330 



ee. Perennial, from a root-stock, inflorescence not one-third 

 the height of the plant. 

 f. Leaves flat or somewhat involute in drying. 



g. Cauline leaves 1-2, perianth parts obtuse, salt 



meadow species. /. gerardi, p. 330 



gg. Cauline leaves none, perianth parts acute, inland 



species. /. tennis, p. 331 



