ENGELMANN—NORTH AM. SPECIES OF JUNCUS. 481 
geographical range. Their compressed or ancipitous stems 
usually come from a creeping rhizoma, and bear laterally 
compressed, or averse, equitant leaves, which in the larger 
forms resemble greatly those of Sisyrinchium and other 
iridaceous plants, and which are very imperfectly septate 
or articulate; their sheath sometimes terminates with two 
auricule or stipular appendages, or frequently, and in the 
same species, imperceptibly runs out into the edge of the leaf. 
The flowers, always pedicelled, are brown, mostly deep chest- 
nut, rarely greenish or paler, and are arranged in few or many- 
flowered heads ; in many species we find forms with single 
or few large heads in clusters, and others with numerous 
small heads disposed in compound panicles. The sepals are 
mostly broad, the outer ones acute or acuminate, the inner 
ones often shorter and obtuse, rarely longer, often variable 
even in flowers of the same head. The number of stamens 
also varies in the same species. The style is distinct, either 
short, or sometimes very long. The mucronate capsule is 
about as long or rarely longer than the calyx, nearly one- 
celled. Seeds reticulate, with smoothish or lineolate aree. 
They inhabit the western slope of North America and extend 
to the Asiatic side of the Pacific. 
48. J. xipnioipss, E. Meyer, Syn. June. 50 et Rel. Haenk. 
1,143; Kunth, 1. ¢. 531: caulibus (1-4+pedalibus) e rhizo- 
mate crasso repente erectis ancipitibus; capitulis pauci- vel 
multifloris paucis plurimisve; floribus pedicellatis; sepalis 
lanceolatis subulato-acuminatis eequalibus seu interioribus 
obtusioribus brevioribus stamina 6 seu raro (in var. ec) 3 fere 
duplo superantibus capsulam prismaticam acutam mucrona- 
tam hine rostratam plerumque zquantibus; antheris oblongo- 
linearibus filamentum fere zequantibus; ovario ovato in sty- 
lum breviorem attenuato, stigmatibus subexsertis ; seminibus 
ovato-oblanceolatis utrumque apiculatis lineolato-reticulatis. 
Var. a. littoralis: caulibus robustis elatis (2-4-pedalibus); 
foliis latis iridaceis, vaginis sxepius inappendiculatis ; paniculze 
seepe supradecompositz capitulis pauci- vel pluri-(3—-20)floris 
e stramineo fuscis; sepalis subzequilongis capsula acuta seu 
rostrata vix brevioribus; antheris spe apiculatis filamento 
paulo longioribus; seminibus oblanceolatis.—J. wiphioides, 
Mey. l. c. 
Var. 3. auratus: caulibus gracilibus elatis (3-pedalibus ul- 
tra); vaginis in folia latiora sensim excurrentibus; panicule 
supradecompositie capitulis pauci-(5-10)floris stramineis ni- 
tentibus; sepalis equilongis capsula rostrata brevioribus ; 
seminibus ut supra. 
Var. y. montanus: caulibus humilioribus (spithameis ses- 
quipedalibus ); foliis angustioribus basi plerumque auriculatis; 
capitulis pauci-(3- 10)floris pallidioribus pluribus paniculatis 
