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XIX. An Account of the Indian Species of Junciis a)id Liizula. Bi/ Daviu 

 Don, Esq., Libr. L.S., Prof. Bot. King's Coll. Land. 



Read January 15th, 1839. 



i HE Juncece, like the other Glumaceous families, but especially the Ct/pem- 

 cece and Gramineœ, have a very wide geographical range, extending through- 

 out the globe from the equator to the polar regions, and affording' examples 

 of the occurrence in both hemispheres of the same species, or at least of 

 forms too closely allied to admit of their being ranked as distinct species, as 

 for instance Junciis effusus and maritimus, and Luzula campestris ; but the 

 Cyperacece afford still more numerous examples, and among others may ))e 

 mentioned Carex cœspitosa and Pseudo-Cyperns, Cladimn Mariscus, Scirpus 

 lacustris, triqueter, and maritimus, Isolepis fluitans and setacea. 



The number of species collected by Dr. Royle in Northern India is eight, of 

 which seven belong to Juncas, and one to Luzula. This last is common to 

 Europe, the northern parts of Asia, and Greenland. Of the seven Junci three 

 are entirely new, two are identical with those contained in the Wallichian 

 Herbarium, and two are g'enerally diffused throughout Europe. 



The linear, erect anthers, attached by their base to the filaments, and com- 

 posed of two parallel cells, connate throughout their entire length, and tlieir 

 filiform, longitudinally papillose stigmata, combined with their liabit and nar- 

 row sheathing leaves, clearly establish a close relationship between the normal 

 Juncece and Cyperacece, notwithstanding the reduced condition of the perian- 

 thium and ovarium, the uninclosed embryo, and entire leaf-sheaths in the 

 latter family. 



The Juncece evidently form the transition from the Glumaceous to the Peta- 

 loid Monocotyledons, being connected on the one hand by Narthecium with 

 Asphodelece and Melanthacece, by Kingia and Calectasia with Commelinece and 



