JUNCACEiT,. 35 



appearing numerous from the seeds germinating close together, seta- 

 ceous or slender, erect or ascending, with 1 (rarely 2) leaves, articulated ; 

 sheaths short, j^ale, terminating in a setaceous cluumelled lamina. Stem 

 leaves shortly sheathing, with a lamina similar to that of the root leaves. 

 Flowers solitary or m foscicles of 2 to 4, arranged in an umbellato- 

 corymbose panicle, and frequently also a few on a simple or dichoto- 

 mously branched peduncle from the axil of the stem leaf; branches 

 of the panicle usually elongate, longer than the leaflike bracts at the 

 base of the panicle ; the branches, or at least the ultimate ones, with 

 the flowers or fascicles racemosely arranged. Perianth leaves lanceo- 

 late, very unequal, the outer ones strapshaped-lanceolate, acuminate 

 and very acute; the inner ones acute or subacute; all green or olive, 

 with pale scarious margins one-fourth to one-eighth longer than the 

 capsule or rarely only as long. Capsule oblong, trigonous, obtuse, 

 apiculate, fulvous-olive or chestnut. Seeds minute, with the testa not 

 produced into an appendage. 



Var. a, genuinus 

 Plate MDLXXII. 

 R. bufonius. Bor. Fl. du Centre de la Fr. ed. iii. Vol. II. p. 607. 

 Flowers sohtary. Perianth longer than the capsule. 



Var. li, fasckulaius. Koch. 



Plate MDLXXIII. 



J. fascicnlatns. Bert. Fl. Ital. Vol. IV. p. 190. (Non Schomh.) 

 J. hjbridas. Brot. Fl. Lusit. Vol. I. p. 513. 



Flowers in fascicles of 2 or 3. Stem shorter and stouter, and -wdth 

 the panicle branches more divaricate than in var. a. Perianth longer 

 than the capsule. 



Var. ( ?) 7, ranarius. 



J. ranarius. Songeon & Perrier, in Billot, Annot. Fl. Fr. et d'All. p. 192. 



Flowers solitary or rarely in fascicles of 2 or 3. Perianth leaves 

 equalling or a little shorter than the capsule. 



In damp sandy places. Common and generally distributed. Var. (3 

 in sandy places overflowed in winter. Var. y occasionally with the 

 other forms. 



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



A slender plant, with the stems ^ to 6 inches high, general!}' .sliorter 

 than the branches of the panicle. Leaves setaceous, all channelled, 



