THE RUSHES 



717 



iV^ 



of flowers held 

 almost vertic- 

 ally. The cap- 

 sule is longer 

 than that of the 

 Soft Rush, and 

 terminates in a 

 point. It fre- 

 quents roadsides 

 and many moist 



at the base. It is a very slender, erect 

 Rush, not more than one foot to one and 

 a half feet high, and making a departure 

 from the type in having a few nearly 

 radical leaves, and one or two higher on the 

 stem of the channelled order and narnnv in 

 form. The panicle is a loose terminal one 

 of shining brown colour, the flowers 

 arranged singly, or rarely clustered. The 

 small perianth segments are rounded, 



as referred to ])re- 

 viously in connection 

 with the Flowering 

 Rush. It lives in wet, 

 marshy places, espe- 

 cially near the coast, 

 but is not so generally 

 spread over Britain as 

 the other Rushes, and 

 not often inland. The 

 flowering lasts all 



GREAT WOOD RUSH. 



HARD RUSH. 



places, growing to- 

 gether with the Soft 

 Rush on boggy com- 

 mons or rovmd the 

 margins of ponds. 

 /. effiisus, very like 

 the Hard Rush, is 

 said to be a hybrid 

 between both varie- 

 ties. I met with it 

 recently, and found 



the stem rigid some little distance from 

 the base, the grooves quite distinct ; 

 but in the upper length it became 

 softer, slightly flattened and twisted. The 

 panicle was of the loose vertical order, 

 the ripened capsules broadly oval, but 

 showing the distinguishing point of 

 /. glaitcus. 



In Jitncus compressiis, or Round-fruited 

 Rush, the stem is also slightly compressed 



91 



through the 

 summer. 



Another 

 Rush that 

 stands apart 

 from the 

 type - form, 

 with cylin- 

 dric lea\-es. 

 is the Heath 



HEATH RUSH. 



