456 KUSH FAMILY. 



Four small families, mostly of rush-like plants, are some- 

 what related to the foregoing, but they are unattractive to the 

 beginner and are rather too recondite for description here. 

 For their study, the ^Manual should be consulted. These are 



CXXIII. XYRIDACE^, YELLOW-EYED GRASS F. 



Small, rush-like herbs, with equitant leaves, like Bulrushes 

 in having flowers in a head or spike, one under each firm 

 glume-like bi"act, but with a regular perianth of 3 sepals and 

 3 colored (yellow) petals; also a 1-celled many-seeded ovary 

 and pod with 3 parietal placentae, and a 3-cleft stigma. Over 

 a dozen species of Xykis in our territory, mostly in boggy 

 places or pine barrens. 



CXXIV. MAYACEiE, MAYACA FAMILY. 



Moss-like aquatic plants, densely clothed with narrow-linear, 

 sessile, and pellucid leaves, and bearing axillary, naked, 1- 

 flowered peduncles, the perfect white flower 3-androus. One 

 species, Mayaca Michacxii, m shallow water, Va., S. 



CXXV. ERIOCAULONACE^, PIPEWORT FAMILY. 



Another small group of marsh or aquatic herbs, of rush-like 

 appearance, with a head of monoecious, white-bearded flowers, 

 in structure somewhat like the Yellow-eyed Grass, terminat- 

 ing a naked scape, at the base of which is a tuft of grassy awl- 

 shaped, linear, or lanceolate leaves of loose cellular texture, 

 not equitant, but the upper surface concave. A half dozen spe- 

 cies in the genera Ekiocaulon, P^epalantiius, Laoiinocaulox. 



CXXVI. JUNCACE^, RUSH FAMILY. 



Plants with the appearance and herbage of Sedges and 

 Grasses, yet with flowers of the structure of the Lily Family, 

 having a complete perianth of 6 parts, 3 outer and 3 inner, 

 but greenish and glume-like. Stameas 6 or 3, style 1 ; stigmas 3. 



1. JU>fCUS. Ovary and pod 3-celled or almost 3-celled, many-seeded. Herbage smooth ; 



stems often leatiess, generally pithy. 



2. LrzrL.\. Ovary and pod 1-celled, with 3 parietal placentae, and one seed to each. 



Stems and leaves often soft-hairy. 



The only con.spicuous species is Juncus EFFiisus, Linn., the Common 

 Bulrush, in low grounds ; has soft and pliant stems in clumps, 2°-4° 

 high ; panicle of many gi-cenish flowers ; 3 stamens ; and very blunt pod. 



