JUNCUS. CLV1. JUNCACEJE. 559 



2. H. DIOICA. Ph. (Veratrum luteum. Linn.) Unicorn Root. 



St. leafy ; Ivs. lanceolate, radical ones oblanceolate ; rac. spiked, nodding, 

 dioecious ; ped. short, without bracts ; sta. exserted ; segments linear. In low 

 grounds, Can. to Ga. and La. Root premorse. Stem or scape 12 30' high, 

 furrowed. Radical leaves 4 8' by 1', in a sort of whorl at the base of the 

 scape. Flowers small, very numerous, greenish-white, in long, terminal, spi- 

 cate racemes which are more slender and weak on' the barren plants. Ovaries 

 as long as the linear petals, subtriangular. Capsule 3-furrowed, oblong, taper- 

 ing to the base, opening at the top. The fertile plants are taller, more erect, 

 but with fewer flowers. June. 



7. TOFIELDIA. Hudson. 

 In honor of Mr. Tofield, a Scotch gentleman, residing near Doncaster. 



Flowers $ , calyculate, with 3 remotish, united bracts ; Ifts. of the 

 perianth petaloid, spreading, sessile and without bracts ; sta. 6 ; auth. 

 roundish-cordate, introrse ; ovaries 3, united ; styles distinct, short ; 

 caps. 3-lobed, 3-partible ; capsule 00-seeded. Lvs. equitant, subradi- 

 cat. Scape not bulbous. Fls. spicate or racemose. 



T. GLUTINOSA. Nutt. 



St. leafy below, glandular-scabrous, simple : Ivs. shorter than the stem, 

 linear-ensiform, glabrous, obtuse ; rac. oblong, few-flowered, close, composed 

 of 3-flowered, alternate fascicles ; caps, longer than the perianth. Woods, Ohio, 

 Sullivant ! to Wis. Lapham ! N. to Arctic Am. A plant remarkable for its 

 glutinous-glandular stem. Stem slender, scape-like, 1 lf high, dotted with 

 its dark-colored glands. Leaves 3 6' by 3 6", conduplicate. Spicate raceme 

 1 1|' long, 9 18-flowered. Pedicels nearly as long as the flowers. Involucre 

 truncate, 3-toothed, a little below the perianth. Petals and sepals subequal, ob- 

 lanceolate, less than 2" long. Capsule of 3, half-united, inflated carpels, twice 

 longer than the perianth. 



ORDER CLYI. JUNCACEJE. BUSHES. 



Plants herbaceous, generally grass-like, often leafless, with small, dry, green flowers. 

 Lvs. fistular, or flat and channeled, with veins parallel. Inflorescence cymose, capitate or fascicled. 

 Perianth more or less glume-like, regular, 6-leaved, in 2 series (sepals and petals) 

 Sta. 6, rarely 3, hj'pogynous. Anth. 2-celled. 



Ova. 3-carpeled, 3 (or by the dissepiments not reaching the centre 1) -celled. 

 Styles united into 1. Stigmas 3. 



Fr. Capsule 3-valved, with the dissepiments from the middle of the valves. 

 Seeds few or many, with a fleshy albumen. 



Genera 13, species 200, chiefly natives of the cool parts of the earth. Properties unimportant. 

 Conspectus of the Genera. 



( Capsule mostly 3-celled. Seeds numerous Juncus. 1 



< green. \ Capsule 1-celled. Seeds 3, fixed to the bottom of cell. . . . Luzula. 2 

 Perianth fc colored, yellow Nartheciuni. 3 



1. JUNCUS. 



Ij&t.jungo, to join ; because ropes were anciently made of these plants. 



Perianth persistent ; stamens 6 ; capsule mostly 3-celled ; seeds 

 numerous, attached to the inner edge of the dissepiments. 

 * Leaves none. Cymes apparently lateral. 



1. J. BALTICUS. Willd. Baltic Rush. 



Rhizoma creeping, prostrate, rooting ; scapes numerous, sheathed at base, 

 opaque, terete, rigid, slender, pungently acute ; panicle small, short, lateral ; 

 perianth segments subequal, ovate-lanceolate, very acute, equaling the elliptical, 

 mucronate capsule. Sandy shores, Milwaukie, Wis., Lapham! N. to the 

 Sas~katchawan and Labrador. Scape leafless, 12 18' high, hard, tough, closely 

 arranged along the scaly rootstock, the sheaths 3" 3' long. Panicle 2 3' be- 

 low the apex of the scape, 1' long. Flowers 20 40, reddish-brown. 



2. J. ACUTUS. 



Caespitose ; scapes numerous, tall, rigid, terete, sheathed at base ; panicle 



