32 ENGUSn BOTANY, 



proportion than that of J. acutiflonis, much darker in colour and 

 more glossy, and with a more decided though short mucro at the 

 apex. Seeds very similar to those of J. acutlHorus. 



Of var. /3 I know nothing except by information derived from D. Don's 

 account of the })lant in the Su])pk'ment to " English Botany." The 

 only character which can be relied on to separate it from var. a is that 

 of the leaves not being compressed. In the Highlands and in Orkney 

 I have met with J. lamprocarpus with the inner perianth leaves vary- 

 ing from quite obtuse to quite acute, but in all these cases the leaves 

 were decidedly compressed. Tiie number of the flowers in the fas- 

 cicles, and the number of heads, is too variable to be considered of the 

 slightest importance. 



Shiny-fruited Rush. 

 French, Jonc a fruits lustres. German, Gegliederte Binse. 



SPECIES XV.—J UNCUS SUPINUS. Monch. 

 Plate MDLXX. 



Rewli. Tc. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCXCVH. 



Blllof, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 177. 



J. nliginosus, Sibth. Hook. & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 463. 



Cajspitose. Rootstock short, only occasionally creeping, producing 

 stems close together. Stems ascending, filiform, erect or ascending 

 or floating, smooth when fresh, faintly striate when dry. Radical 

 sheaths pale, terminating in an elongate filiform or setaceous lamina, 

 which is channelled above. Stem leaves 1, 2, or none, filiform-cylin- 

 drical, hollow with distant dissepiments, which, however, do not always 

 give the dried leaf a jointed appearance, all of them much shorter than 

 the stem. Flowers few, in fascicles of 2 to 12, arranged in a nearly 

 simple umbellato-corymbose panicle, of wliich the lower branches are 

 much longer than the short foliaceous bract, ascending, simple or 

 once branched, in which case there is often only a single branch 

 developed, ultimate branches ascending or erect, more rarely spread- 

 ing. Perianth leaves nearly equal, the outer ones acute, the inner 

 subobtuse, with narrow pale scarious margins, all of them chestrmt- 

 brown, rather shorter than the capsule or only equalling it. Stamens 

 3 (rarely 6); filaments about as long as the anther. Style much 

 shorter than the ovary. Capsule oblong-ovoid, obtusely trigonous, 

 obtuse, with a short abrupt mucro at the apex, chestnut-brown, 

 slio'htly shining. Seeds very minute, with the testa not produced 

 into an appendage. 



