juncace;e. 31 



stem. Flowers numerous, or rather few, in fascicles of 2 to 10, 

 arraufred in a compound or nearly simple umbellato-corymbose panicle, 

 of which the lowest branches are commonly longer than the foliaceous 

 bract, ascending, once (more rarely t\vice) branched or simple, the 

 ultimate branches ascending or spreading-ascending. Perianth leaves 

 nearly equal, the outer ones acute but not recurved at the tips, the 

 inner ones varying from obtuse to acute, and with broad pale scarious 

 margins, all of them chestnut-brown, shorter than the capsule. Stamens 

 6; filaments about as long as the anthers. Style shorter than the 

 ovary. Capsule lanceolate-ovoid triquetrous, gradually attenuated to 

 the apex, and shortly nnicronate, dark bro\vn, very glossy. Seeds 

 very minute, with the testa not produced into an appendage. 



Var. a, genuinus. 

 Plate MDLXVIII. 

 J. lamprocarpus, D. Bon ; Bah. Maa. Brit. Bot. ed. vi. p. 352. 



Leaves compressed. Heads usually numerous. Lower brandies of 

 tlie panicle usually once or twice branched. Liner perianth leaves de- 

 cidedly obtu.^c or subacute. 



Var. /3, nigritellus. 



Plate ilDLXES. 



.J. nigritellus, D. Don, in Eng. Bot. Suppl. No. 2G43. Bah. Man. Brit. Bot. ed. vi. 



p. 352. 

 J. polycephalus, Eoolc. Sm. Engl. Fl. Vol. II. p. 117 (non Mich.). 



Leaves terete. Panicle branches nearly simple. Lmer perianth 

 leaves acute. Capsule more abruptly pointed and darker in colour 

 than in var. a. 



In wet places. Common and generally distributed. Var. 3, Clova 

 ^lountains, Forfarshire, ]\Ir. G. Don. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer, Autumn. 



Stems 6 to 18 inches high, usually growing in tufts, sometimes 

 decmnbeiit and floating, less erect and with more numerous leaves 

 than those of J. acutiflorus, as usually all the basal sheaths except the 

 lowest are furnished with a lamina, though this in all the leaves is 

 shorter than in the last species. Panicle usually less compound, 

 lowest branches 1 to 4 inches long. Perianth leaves ^ inch long, 

 darker in colour, the outer ones less acuminated, and the inner with 

 a broad scarious margin, which is often so much developed on each 

 side that the perianth leaf becomes quite ol)tuse, l)ut frequently it is 

 acute, though less so than the outer ones. Capsule always longer in 



