28 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Section IV.— ARTICULATI. Fries. 



Perennial. Stems hollow, at least in the upper part, articulated. 

 Leaves distributed over the stein, and in separate radical barren tufts, 

 subcylindrical, iistulose with solid dissepiments, wliich give a jointed 

 appearance to the dried leaves; radical leaves reduced to sheaths, or 

 similar to the stem leaves, or setaceous and channelled above, and 

 without dissepiments. Flowers numerous or several, in small fascicles 

 collected into an umbellato-corymbose panicle. Seeds with the testa 

 not produced into a tail-like appendage. 



SPECIES XII.-J UNCUS OBTUSIFLORUS. Elirh. 



Plate MDLXVI. 



Bekh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCCIV. 

 BllU, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 2945. 



Not casspitose. Rootstock extensively creeping, its branches elon- 

 gate, with the stems more or less widely apart one before the other. 

 Stems erect, terete, smooth when fresh, scarcely striate when dry, solid 

 towards the base, hollow with distinct dissepiments above. Radical 

 sheaths yellow, leafless, the uppermost one with a filiform lamina. Stem 

 leaves usually 2, sheathing, their laminae cylindrical-terete, hollow with 

 numerous partitions, which give the dried leaf the appearance of being 

 jointed ; middle leaf nearly as long as the stem. Flowers numerous, 

 in fascicles of 3 to 8, arranged in a decompound umbellato-coiymbose 

 panicle, of which the lower branches are much longer than the foliaceous 

 bract, ascending, twice or thrice branched, the ultimate branches divari- 

 cate. Perianth leaves nearly equal, oblong, obtuse, very pale green 

 or tinged with pale reddish-bro'mi, a little shorter than the capsules. 

 Stamens 6 ; filaments shorter than the anthers. Style* as long as the 

 ovary. Capsule oval-ovoid, gradually acuminated into a short mucro, 

 pale reddish-brown, shining. Seeds very minute, with the testa not 

 produced into an appendage. 



In ditches and wet places. Rather rare. Sparingly distributed 

 over England. Very scarce in Scotland : reported on good authority 

 from Kirkcudbright, Wigton, Haddington, and Linlithgow; but 1 

 have never seen a Scottish specimen. Very rare in Ireland, where 

 it has occurred in co. Cork, co. Wicklow, and co. Down. 



• In tills and the following species the term "style" is restricted to the undivided 

 part. 



