150 JUNCACEAE 



Leaf-sheaths open; capsule 1-3-celled, with axile or parietal placentae; seeds many. 



1. Juxcus. 

 Leaf-sheaths closed; capsule 1-celled, with basal placentae; seeds 3. 2. Juxcoides. 



1. JtJNCUS (Tourn.) L. Rush, Wire-grass. 



Caulescent or rarely scapose swamp plants, with glabrous leaves and stems. 

 Leaves with laterally or vertically flattened, or terete leaf-blades, or the latter 

 sometimes wanting: sheaths with free margins. Cymes paniculate, corymbi- 

 form or capitate. Flowers subtended by a bract and sometimes also by 2 bract- 

 lets. Stamens 6 or 3. Capsule 1-celled or by the intrusion of the placentae 

 3-celled. Seeds often tailed or apiculate, reticulate or ribbed, many. 



Lower bracts of the inflorescence terete, erect, appearing like a continuation of the 

 stem; inflorescence therefore apparently lateral; stamens 6. 

 Flowers several in a more or less compound panicle; seeds apiculate or acute; peren- 

 nials with long rootstocks. I. Effusi. 

 Flowers 1-5, of which one is subsessile and the others peduncled; seeds caudate, i. e., 

 with white tails at each end ; densely cespitose perennials. 1 1 . Subtriflori . 

 Lower bracts not appearing as a continuation of the stem, or if so, channeled on the 

 upper side; inflorescence terminal. 

 Leaves neither septate nor equitant. 

 Leaves not fistulose. 

 Flowers many. 



Flowers bracteolate, inserted singly on the branches of the inflorescence; 

 leaves narrowly linear, either flat or subterete and channeled; 

 stamens 6. 

 Perennials, with short cespitose rootstocks; stems simple. 



III. Texues. 

 Annuals; stem branching; seed apiculate. IV. Bufoxii. 



Flowers not bracteolate, in true heads on the branches of the inflorescence; 

 leaves flat, often grass-like; perennials with stoloniferous rootstocks. 



VI. Gramixifolii. 

 Flowers solitary on the scape; plant 2-3 cm. high. VII. Uxciales. 



Leaves fistulose {i.e., hollow); flowers few in small heads; lower sheath bladeless; 

 seeds caudate; stamens 6. V. Castanei. 



Ijcaves septate. 



Leaves terete, not equitant. 



Septa poorly developed; heads 1-3. V. Castaxei. 



Septa well developed; heads usually several (in J. Mcrtcnsianus usually only 



one). VIII. NoDOSi. 



Leaves equitant, laterally flattened so that one edge is towards the stem; seeds 



apiculate; perennials with creeping rootstocks. IX. Exsifolii. 



I. Effusi. 



Stem light green, striate when dry on account of the free hypodermal flbro-vasciilar 



bundles; sepals and petals green. 1. J. fiUforrnis. 



Stem dark green or at the base purplish, not striate; sepals and petals brown. 



Stem terete; sheath naked or merely bristle-pointed; sepals and petals dark purplish 

 brown. 

 Inflorescence congested; branches 1-3 cm. long; petals and sepals acute or short- 

 acuminate, almost equal in length. 2. J. aler. 

 Inflorescence open; branches 4-7 cm. long; sepals long-acuminate, much exceed- 

 ing tiie acute petals. 3. J. ralUcola. 

 Stem flattened; uppermost sheath often leaf-bearing; sepals and petals not very dark 

 brown. 4. J. mexicanus. 



II. Subtriflori. 



Upper sheaths merely bristle-pointed; petals and sepals with green backs and dark brown 



margins. 5. J. Drummondii. 



Upper sheaths leaf-bearing ; green backs of the petals and sepals less prominent. 

 Sepals and petals linear-lanceolate, light brown; capsule acute. 6. J. Parryi. 

 Sepals and petals broadly lanceolate, very dark brown ; capsule retuse. 



7. J. Uallii. 



III. Texues. 



Seeds long-caudate; leaves terete with a shallow groove aoove. s. J. Vaseyi. 

 Seeds apiculate, not caudate; leaves flat, but usually involute, lunate in section. 

 Auricles at the sumnut of the sheaths membranous, wliitish. 



Auricles scarcely produced beyond the insertion, scarcely scarious; petals and 

 sepals scarcely spreading. 

 Perianth 3-4 mm. long, equalling the capsule. 9. J. interior. 



Perianth 4.5-5 mm. long, exceeding the capsule. 10. J. arizonicus. 



Auricles conspicuously produced beyond the point of insertion. 



Capsule oblong, narrow, 3-celled, equalhng the perianth or nearly so; sepals 

 and petals erect or appressed. 

 Stem stout; leaves short and broad (1.5-2 mm. wide) ; sepals and petals 4-5 

 mm. long, scarious at the base only, stramineous; flowers in an open 

 cyme. 11. J. brachyphyllus. 



