3 86 



II. Juncus tenuis "VVilld. 



JUNCACEAE. 

 Slender Rush. 



Yard Rush. (Fig. 929.) 



Juncus tennis Willd. Sp. PI. 2: 214. 1799. 



Tufted, S'-3o' high; basal leaves with blades }"- 

 %" wide, sometimes involute in drying, about half 

 the height of the stem; stem leaves none; inflorescence 

 usually much exceeded by its lowest leaf, 4' high or 

 less, the flowers rarely secund; perianth i^"-- 

 long, its parts lanceolate, acuminate, exceeding the 

 capsule, widely divergent, touching the capsule for 

 about half their length; stamens 6, about half as long 

 as the perianth; anthers shorter than the filaments; 

 capsule oblong to obovoid, rounded at the top, imper- 

 fectly 3-celled; seed \"-}1i" long, narrowly oblong 

 to obovoid, with oblique ends, reticulated in about 16 

 rows, the areolae two or three times broader than long. 



In dry or moist soil, especially on paths, almost through- 

 out North America, now migrating to all parts of the world. 

 Variable. 



12. Juncus secundus Beauv. Secund Rush. (Fig. 930.) 



Juncus seen nd us Beauv.; Poir. Encycl. Sup. 3: 160. 181,3. 

 Juncus tenuis var. secundus Engelm. Trans. St. Louis 

 Acad. 2: 450. 1866. 



Tufted, 6'-i6' high; leaves usually less than one- 

 third the height of the plant; inflorescence longer 

 than its lowest leaf or only slightly exceeded by it, 

 io // -4 / high, the flowers secund on the usually some- 

 what incurved branches; perianth-parts \]^ ff -\^i" 

 long, equalling or barely exceeding the capsule and 

 appressed to it for about two-thirds their length, often 

 reddish above; stamens 6, about one-half as long as 

 the perianth; capsule narrowly ovoid, 3-sided above 

 the middle with straight sides and a truncate apex, 

 completely 3-celled, the placentae meeting in the axis; 

 seed Y'-y long, narrowly oblong to ovoid, obliquely 

 tipped, with 12-16 longitudinal rows of areolae two or 

 three times broader than long. 



In dry soil, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to North Caro- 

 lina. Occasional in the middle Mississippi Valley. 



13. Juncus Vaseyi Engelm. Vase}-' s Rush. (Fig. 931.) 



Juncus I'asevi Engelm. Trans. St. I,ouis Acad. 2 

 1866. 



Stems erect, tufted, i-2j high, #" in diameter 

 or less; basal leaves with minutely auriculate sheaths, 

 the uppermost bearing a terete channeled blade half 

 to three-fourths as long as the stem; stem leaves none; 

 inflorescence i*^' in height or less, 4-40- flowered, the 

 lowest bract usually not exceeding the inflorescence; 

 perianth i^ // -2 // long, the parts subulate-lanceolate, 

 with hyaline margins, the inner slightly shorter; 

 stamens 6, about two-thirds as long as the perianth; 

 anthers shorter than the filaments; style almost want- 

 ing; stigmas short; capsule slightly exceeding the 

 perianth, narrowly oblong, obtuse or truncate, with a 

 short tip, 3-celled; seed long-tailed, with a linear-ob- 

 long oblique body about %" long, 2o-24-ribbed, the 

 intervening spaces with faint transverse markings. 



Maine and Ontario to Michigan, Illinois and Iowa. 





