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annua,) so great a nuisance as a weed in gardens, and growing 

 everywhere. There are also two or three of the HAIR GRASSES, 

 (Aira,) so called for their delicacy. The BROWN BENT 

 GRASS the FINE BENT GRASS and the MARSH BENT 

 GRASS, all are common. 



THE SEDGES. CARICES. 



Are coarse, hard, grass-like plants, growing chiefly in wet 

 places, and belonging to the twenty-first class. None of them 

 are liked by cattle, not used in the arts, nor yet is there any 

 thing in their appearance to make them regarded as plants of 

 ornament. Their flowers are borne in spikes, sometimes the 

 same spike contains both sorts of flowers, but more frequently 

 at. the top of the plant are spikes of flowers with stamens only, 

 and under these, other spikes of flowers with pointals only. 



THE RUSHES, &c. JUNCI, fyc. 



These belong to the sixth class. Many are common, and 

 extremely useful. They are generally without leaves, con- 

 sisting of a number of upright, round, pithy, smooth stems, 

 and their flowers are borne in bunches on the side of these 

 stems. The SHARP RUSH, (Juncus acutus,) and the SEA 

 RUSH, (Juncus maritimus,) grow on the sea shore, and on 

 the banks of rivers, where they are very useful, on account of 

 their roots keeping the earth firm, so that the water cannot 

 wash it away, and in Holland they are often planted for that 

 purpose. The BULL RUSH, (Juncus palustris,) grows in ponds 

 and rivers, several feet high, and is used to bottom chairs, to 

 make baskets and mattings, and by coopers to put between 

 the joints of casks to prevent leakage. The COMMON RUSH, 

 (Juncus conglomerates,) and the SOFT RUSH, (Juncus effusus,) 

 are used for the wicks of rush-lights, and the Chinese make 

 window blinds of the same species. The following have leafy 

 stems the SHARP-FLOWERED RUSH, (Juncus acutiflorus,) 

 grows in wet places, two feet high, with a jointed stem, and 

 three or four leaves upon it. The TOAD RUSH, (Juncus fru- 

 fonius,) is a very small species, growing in barren places, with 



