456 RUSH 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. XYRIDACEJ], YELLOW-EYED GEASS F. 



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

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

 glume-like bract, 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 XYRIS in our territory, mostly in boggy 

 places or pine barrens. 



CXXIV. MAYACE^J, 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 MICHAUXII, in shallow water, Va., S. 



CXXV. ERIOCAULONACEJJ, PIPEWOET 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 ERIOCAULON, PJEPALANTHUS, LACHNOCAULOX. 



CXXVI. JUNCACE.E, EUSH FAMILY. 



Plants with the appearance and herbage of Sedgts 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. Stamens 6 or 3, style 1 ; stigmas 3. 



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



stems often leafless, generally pithy. 



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



Stems and leaves often soft-hairy. 



The only conspicuous species is JUNCUS EFFUSUS, Linn., the COMMON 

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

 high ; panicle of many greenish flowers ; 3 stamens j and very blunt poa. 



