CLASS VI. ORDER I. J JUNCUS. 601 



Perennial; flowering in July and August. 



The distinction between these two nearly allied species will be at 

 once seen in the difference of the inflorescence, one of the flowers of 

 J. biglumis always being elevated above the other. The bractea are 

 also very different, as well as the shape of the segments of the perianth, 

 and especially that of the capsules. J. triglumis is always tufted, and 

 is larger and stouter. J. biglumis grows scattered, not tufted, and is 

 much more rare. 



11. /. tri'fidus, Linn. (Fig. 570.) Three-leaved Hush. Stem naked, 

 filiform ; heads terminal, about three flowered ; bracteas three, alter- 

 nate, long, setaceous, leafy, sheathing and auriculated at the base ; 

 perianth of six equal lanceolate acute segments, as long as the ellip- 

 tical beaked capsule ; sheaths at the base of the stem numerous, the 

 upper ones with short leaves. 



English Botany, t. 1482. English Flora, vol. ii. p. 163. Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p 167. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 274. 



Root of numerous long black branched fibres, and with somewhat 

 creeping underground stems, which put out numerous crowded tufts 

 of flowering stems, erect, round, smooth, slender, thread-shaped, from 

 three to six inches high, enveloped at -the base in numerous dry brown 

 striated sheaths, imbricated, the lower ones scale-like, the upper ones 

 auriculated, with a tapering point, sometimes becoming leafy, which is 

 mostly very short, rarely as long as the stem, bristle-shaped, channeled, 

 upright, with a tapering point. Bracteas three alternate, two at the 

 top of the stem, and one about half an inch below them, long, bristle- 

 shaped, leafy, smooth, channeled on the upper side, tapering at the 

 point, the base dilated into a thin membranous sheath, with rather 

 long pointed auricular appendages at the top. Inflorescence a ter- 

 minal head of about three flowers, sometimes one or two, sessile, from 

 the base of the upper bractea, or sometimes on a short peduncle, and 

 occasionally there are three heads of flowers, one from the base of each 

 bractea ; this is only the case in luxuriant plants. Perianth of six 

 equal elliptic acutely pointed pieces, having a slender keel at the 

 back, and several slender ribs on each side, and from the base of each 

 flower is a membranous scale, about as long as the perianth, with 

 fringed or ciliated margins. Stamens shorter than the perianth, with 

 short filaments, and large erect yellow elliptical anthers. Style long, 

 furrowed, its base forming a beak to the capsule, which is elliptical, 

 cylindrical, not angular or furrowed, with an acute point, crowned by 

 the base of the style. 



Habitat. Damp rocky places in the highland mountains of Scot- 

 land. 



Perennial ; flowering in July and August. 



**** Barren stems wanting ; leaves rounded, or sub-compressed t and 

 tvith distinct internal partitions. Inflorescence terminal panicles, 

 VOL. I. 3 u 



