158 HEXANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Juncus. 



quite so tall. Spadix about a foot above the root, a little spread- 

 ing, 2 or 3 inches long, tapering, covered with a mass of very 

 numerous, thick-set, pale green flowers, which have no scent, 

 except when bruised. A very narrow wavy membrane may be 

 observed at the base of the spadix, which perhaps ought to be 

 taken into the generic character as a spafha. 

 The flowers are rare. The dried root powdered is used, by the 

 country people in Norfolk, for curing the ague. On the A4ayor's 

 day, in June, the cathedral of Norwich, and some of the streets, 

 have from time immemorial been strewed, or decorated, with 

 this plant, which, when trodden upon, smells somewhat like 

 myrtle ; b\it having become less plentiful, its place is now 

 partly supplied by Iris Fseud-ucorus, or the larger kinds of Carex. 



198. JUNCUS. Rush. 



Linn. Gen. 1/3. Juss. 44. Fl. Br. 374. Mich. Gen. 37. ^ 31. Br. 



Prodr.2bS. Bicheno Tr. of L. Soc. v. 12. 297. Lam. t. 250. 



Gcertn. f."15. 

 Nat. Ord. Tripetaloidea;. Linn. 5. Jimci. Juss. 1 3. N. 1 99. 



the same. 



Cal. inferior, of six oblong, acute, permanent leaves ; 3 of 

 them internal and rather the smallest. Cor. none. Fi- 

 lam. capillary, short, attached to the base of the calyx- 

 leaves ; 3 of them sometimes wanting. Anth. oblong, 

 erect, of 2 cells, bursting lengthwise. Germ, superior, 

 triangular. Style simple, cylindrical, short, deciduous. 

 Stigmas 3, elongated, tapering, downy. Caps, triangular, 

 smooth, invested with the permanent calyx, of 3 cells, 

 and 3 firm valves with central partitions. Seeds very nu- 

 merous, minute, roimdish, mserted all along the inner 

 edge of each partition, often furnished with a partial 



t5. 



tunic. 



Roots fibrous, or creeping, mostly perennial. Herbage 

 smooth. Stem simple, naked, or more or less leafy; 

 spongy within, rigid, sometimes spmous at the summit. 

 Leaves alternate, channelled or flat, undivided, and for 

 the most part, if not invariably, entire ; sometimes inter- 

 nally cellular. Fl. lateral or terminal, panicled, or some- 

 what capitate, greenish, with a pair of close hracteas to 

 each. Caps, often dark-coloured, and highly polished. 



* Leaves none. 



1. 5. acuhis. Great Sharp Sea Rush. 



Stem naked, sharp-pointed. Panicle aggregate, near the 



