Wrightiane. N. O. Juncee. 
TAB. DXXXIII. 
MARSIPPOSPERMUM GRANDIFLORUM. 
Gen. Cuar. Sepala 6 subulato-lanceolata canaliculata, ineequalia, 
erecto patentia, canaliculata, persistentia, basi bracteis 3 
membranaceis suffulta. Stam. 6, sepalis breviora. Filamenta 
brevissima. Anthere oblonge. Pistillum longitudine sepalo- 
rum breviorum. Germen oblongum, obtuse trigonum, stylo 
gracili subduplo longius. Stigma longitudine styli, inferne dila- 
tatum ad basin in ramis tribus erectis rigidis fissum. Capsula 
sepalis persistentibus duplo brevior, subprismatica, oblonga, 
acutissima apice dehiscens, trifida, unilocularis. Semina re- 
ceptaculis 3 parietalibus affixa, numerosa, arillata utrinque 
acuminata.—Planta rigida cespitosa, unifoliata, folio radicali 
basi vaginato, tereti: culmo unifloro. 
Marsippospermum grandiflorum. 
Marsippospermum calyculatum. Desv. Journ. de Bot. v.1, p.330. 
Juncus grandiflorus. Linn. Fil. Suppl. p. 209.—Forst. Comm. 
Goett.9, p.27, t.3. Lam. Cycl. 3, p. 266. Roem. et Sch. Syst. 
Veget. 7, p. 248. 
Has. Straits of Magellan, Forster. Falkland Islands, D’Urville, 
Mr. Wright. 
The habit of this plant is so peculiar, and the size and texture 
and structure of the flower so different from any other Juncus, 
that I cannot but think Desvaux was correct in raising it to the 
rank of a genus, although it has not been adopted by succeed- 
ing authors. It probably grows larger in the Straits of Magellan 
than in the Falkland Islands; for the inhabitants are said by 
Forster to make cordage and baskets of its tenacious leaves and 
culms. The ripe fruit I have not seen. 
Fig. 1. Flower, with its three bracteas. (f. 2. Pistil. f. 3. 
Germen, cut through transversely. /. 4. Stamen :—magnified. 
