JunCUS.] JUNCACEiE. 611 



constituting a spongy ceespitose mass of great density. Stem ascending at the 

 base, 6 or 8 to 15 inches high, rounded, glabrous, striated, hollow in the centre. 

 Radical leaves and those of the barren shoots bright green, fascicled, equitant on 

 one another by their white sheathing lower portions, which appear as if slit along 

 one of their edges for a considerable distance upwards, linear-ensifornj, many-rib- 

 bed, slightly convex on one side, concave on the other, their points a little oblique, 

 unequal in length, sometimes as tall as the stem, but usually much shorter; stem- 

 leaves alternate, distant, membranaceous, very short, especially the upper, strongly 

 ribbed, inflated, sheathing below, keeled and folded together towards their points, 

 which are in general closely applied to the stem. Flowers in a terminal, erect, 

 racemose cluster, 2 or 3 inches in length, bright yellow, with scarlet anthers, about 

 i an inch in diameter, on rather long upnght pedicels, having 2 linear-lanceolate 

 coloured bracts, one at the base and half-sheathing, the second smaller and placed 

 abut the middle of the flower-stalk or a little above it. Segments of the perianth 

 linear-lanceolate, equal, greenish at the back, their tips reddish. Stamens erect, 

 shorter than the perianth, often remaining attached in seed ; filaments thickly 

 clothed with long, spreading, bright yellow hairs ; anthers oblong, erect, deep 

 orange, with scarlet pollen, 2-celled, bursting laterally. Germen ovate, 3-lobed, 

 each lobe with a central furrow. Style none, unless the tapering summit of the 

 ovaiium be considered as such ; stigma minute, simple. Capsules brick-red,* 

 glabrous, linear-oblong, taper-pointed, much longer than the calyx, bluntly trigo- 

 nous, 3-valved, with a deep furrow along the back of each valve, corresponding to 

 the thin central partitions formed by the reduplication of the margins of the 

 valves, and which are united below by the oblong spongy receptacle at the base of 

 each dissepiment, whose upper margins are free. Seeds numerous, erect, fusiform, 

 remarkably attenuated towards each extremity, covered with a membranous, pale, 

 translucent, lax and twisted tunic. 



II. JuNCDS, Linn. Eush. 



" Perianth of 6 leaves, glumaceous. Filaments glabrous. Stig- 

 mas 8. Capsule 3-ceUed, 3-valved; valves with the seed-bearing 

 dissepiments in their middle. Seeds numerous. — (Leaves rigid, 

 mostly rounded, rarely plane, glabrous)." — Br. Fl. 



* Leaves none. Barren scapes resembling leaves. Panicle terminal. Flower- 

 clusters aggregated. 



1. J.maritimus, Sm. Lesser Sharp Sea Rush. " Barren scapes 

 and outer bracteas pungent, panicle compound erect, clusters 4 — 8 

 flowered, sepals equal lanceolate acute as long as the elliptical 

 mucronated capsule." — Br. Fl. p. 448. E. B. t. 1725. Fl. Da- 

 nica, X. t. 1689. Host. Gram. Aust. iii. 54, t. 80. J. acutus |3.,'i. 



About salt-marsh ditches, and on flat muddy shores at the mouth of tide-rivers, 

 creeks and inlets of the sea ; abundantly. J7. July, August. If. 



E. Med. — On ditchbanks along the coast between Springfield and Nettleston 

 point. Brading harbour, in abundance, Mr. Snooke. 



W. Med. — Plentifully by creeks of the Medina above W. Cowes, and in salt- 

 marshes at Newtown. Profusely in the salt-marshes along the Yar between Yar- 

 mouth and Freshwater church, &c. Thomess bay, in plenty. Norton, Mr. 

 Snooke. 



Soot creeping horizontally with stout fibres, reddish, tough and woody, emitting 

 numerous rigid barren and flowering scapes 2 — 4 feet high, round or a little com- 

 pressed, dark olive-green, smooth and shining, filled with a soft white pith. 



* The capsules of this and N. americanum lose their red colour by keeping, 

 and become whitish. 



