MACLOSKIE I JUNCACEyE. 295 



cate. Ovary inferior, with manifest epigynous tube. Stigmas leafy. 

 Fruit an indehiscent berry. Ovules few, globose. Terrestrial stemless 

 herbs, having the leaves armed with marginal spines. 



F. LITORALIS Mez. (Phil, sub Rhodostachys\ 



Leaves glabrate above, with small dense appressed pallid scales under- 

 neath. Inflorescence rather many-flowered, terminal. Bracts broadly 

 elliptical, acute, exceeding the flowers. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, the 

 apex acuminate-mucronate. 



(Chili) ; W. Patagon. (?) 







Family 17. JUNCACE.E. Rush Family. 



Usually tufted grass-like herbs, or with subulate leaves ; with small, regu- 

 lar flowers, often panicled ; perianth 6-parted, its tepals dry, persistent ; 

 stamens 3 or 6, rarely 4 or 5 ; ovary superior, 3-carpellary, i- or 3-locular ; 

 style i. Fruit capsular ; seeds 3 or more, rarely only i. 



Species 200, cosmopolitan, mostly in moist places. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 



A. Flowers solitary, terminal, rather large. 



b. Leaf subtending flowers small, bract-like. Flowers 2-4 cm. long. Seeds scobiform. 



I. Marsippospcrmum,^. 295. 

 b2. Leaf subtending the flowers exceeding them ; upper bracts equalling the flowers. Seeds 



obovate. 2. Rostkovia, p. 296. 



A2. Flowers numerous, usually small. Perianth glumaceous. 



b. Leaf sheaths open. Capsules many-seeded. 3. Juncus, p. 296. 



2b. Leaf-sheaths closed. Capsule 3-seeded. 4. Juncoides (Luzula), p. 301. 



(Distichia, with dioecious flowers and closely imbricating 2-ranked leaves, 

 is in the Bolivian Andes, reaching to the snow-line.) 



i. MARSIPPOSPERMUM Desv. 



Rush-like ; culm 3 cm. long, terminally i -flowered, surrounded by basal 

 leaves, of which 1-2 are cylindric with short spout-like blade, the others 

 are like barren culms. Perianth-leaves linear, the inner smaller. Fruit 

 ovoid, 3-locular, parchment-like. Seeds with fine testa, appendaged at 

 base. 



Species 2 (M. gracile Buch. in N. Zeal.). 



