230 IIEXANDRIA MOKOGYNIA 



Root annual, fibrous, ccspitosc. Culm 2 to 6 or 8 inches high, subtercte, striate, 

 smooth, dichotomously paniculate above. Leaves subradical, shorter than ih B 

 culm, dilated membranaceous and sheathing at base. Panicle large, feW-flowered, 

 usually with a solitary subsessile flower in the forks of the branches; branches 

 with lanceolate scarious bracts at base. Involucre foliaccous, sheathing atbase r 

 one of the leaves mostly overtopping the panicle. Perianth pale green; sepaU 

 nearly twice as long as the capsule, linear-lanceolate, much acuminate, wltk 

 broad white scarious margins ; bracts large, ovate, thin and white. Capsule oyoid- 

 •blong, minutely striate -punctate, yellowish, shining. Seeds ovoid, obtuse, yellow- 

 ish-brown. 



Nab. Wet, low grounds; around ponds: frequent. Ft. July. Fr. Aug.-Sept. 



7. J. mahginatus, Rosth. Culm leafy, nodose, compressed ; leave* 

 flat, smooth, grass-like ; panicle subcorymbose, compound, proliferous ; 

 flowers in capitate clusters ; perianth about as long as the obtuse cap- 

 sule ; outer sepals and bracts subaristatc, inner sepals obtuse, margined. 

 Beck, Hot. p. 372. 

 J. aristulatus. Mx.Jlm. 1. p. 192. 



J. aristatus. Peru. Syn. I. p. 385. FM. St. 1. p. 408. Also, Pursh, 

 . ]m. 1. p. 237. jYutt. Gen. 1. p. 227. 

 Also, J. bulbosus. FloruL Cestr. p. 43. Not of Linn. 

 Margined Juncus, 



Root perennial, tuberous, and creeping. Culm 1 to 2 and 3 feet high, simple, 

 compressed, pithy, smooth. Leaves 4 to 12 or 15 inches long, flat, linear, acute, 

 grass-like, sheathing at base, the radical ones mostly shorter than those on the 

 culm. Panicle somewhat corymbose, often proliferous and elongated (2 to 5 inches 

 in length), mostly longer than the erect foliaccous involucre at base. Flotccrs in 

 fascicles, or heads ; heads 3 to 5 or 6-flowered, pedunculate, or subsessile in the 

 forks of the branches ; branches with subulate long-pointed bracts at base. Peri 

 anih with tko sepals unequal, green on the back, edged with dark purple ; thr 

 3 outer ones, and the bracts at their base, subaristatc ; the 3 inner ones obtuse, 

 with scarious margins. Stamens 3, inserted at the base of the exterior sepals. 

 Stigmas filiform, subsessile. Capsule obtusely trigonous-obovoid, often dart 

 purple. Seeds minute, yellowish, acute at each end, striate. 



Hob. Moist low grounds ; borders of woodlands : frequent. Fl. July. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. We have a large variety of this,— often 3 feet high, with an elongated 

 panicle, and long leaves on the culm,— which is probably the var. odoratus, of Tor 

 rey;— though I have not had occasion to notice the vanilla-like odor of which he 

 •peaks. The J. bulbosus, of my Catalogue, proves also to be a variety of this 

 ■pedes. It is a starved specimen, collected on the Mica-slate hills ; and was er- 

 roneously inserted by that name, on the authority of a distinguished botanical 

 friend. It is quite possible that other species, of this difficult and not very attrac- 

 tive genus, may occur in Chester County ; but the foregoing are all that I have as- 

 certained satisfactorily. Nine or ten additional species are enumerated in tks 

 l\ States. 



183. LUZULA. DC. 



[Italian, Lucciola, a glow-worm ; from its glittering spikclets, when wet with dew.] 



Perianth deeply 6-partcd, or rather of 6 glumaceous persistent sepal*, 

 bibractcate at base. Ovary superior; stigmas 3. Capsule 1 -celled, 

 3-valved ; valves without dissepiments. Seed* 3, at the bottom of tb« 

 cell. 



