

HEXANDRIA TR1GYNIA 231 



Herbaceous: stems culm-like nodose, leafy; leaves flat, soft and grass-like, 

 generally pilose; flowers in terminal subpaniculate clusters, or epikelets. Nat. 

 Ord.2U. Lindl. Junceje. 



1. L. campestris, D C. Leaves linear-lanceolate, pilose ; spikclets 

 mostly pedunculate, the central one subscssile ; sepals acuminate, ra- 

 ther longer than the obtuse capsule. Beck, Bot. //. 373. 

 Juncus campestris. Willd. Sp. 2. p. 221. Ms. Am. Up. 190. Per*. 

 Stja. Up. 386. Ait. Kew. 2. p. 311. Muhl. Catal. p. 36. Ejusd. 

 Gram. p. 199. Pursh, Am. Up. 238. Mitt. Gen. U p. 827. Bart. 

 Phil Up. 170. Ell. Sk. Up. 410. Bigel. Bast. p. 140. Florid. Cestr. 

 p. 43. 

 Field Luzula. Yulgo — Field Rush, 



Root perennial, fibrous, sometimes creeping and tuberous. Culm 4 to 12 or 20 

 inches high, often cespitose, slender, subtereic, solid with pith, striate, smooth. 

 Leaves 2 to 6 inches long, linear-lanceolate, acute, somewhat thickened and car- 

 tilaginous at the point, the margin ciliatc with long loose hairs, sheathing at bas«, 

 with the long hairs in something of a tuft at the throat. Panicle subumbellate, or 

 cymose ; peduncles 4 to 6 or 6, unequal, half an inch to 2 or 3 inches long, erect, or 

 spreading, some of them at length reHexed ; involucre of 2 or 3 unequal leaves, 

 usually shorter than the longest peduncles. Spikclets roundish, or oblong-ovoid, 

 many-flowered. Sepals generally fuscous, or chesnut brown, scarious on the mar- 

 gin, with whitish scarious bractsul base. Stigmas exscrted, iili form 9 about as ion? 

 as the style. Capsule trigonous-obovoid ; valves with a central internal ridge, 

 but no dissepiments. Seeds ovoid, obtuse, dark brown, scabrous-punctate. 

 J fab. Fields, and open woodlands : common. Ft. April. Fr. June. 



Obs. Three other species are enumerated in the U. States. 



[Sabbatia angularis. Pentandria Monogynia.'} 

 [Lauras Sassafras. Enncandria Monogynia.) 



Order 2. ©igyiiia. 



L Polygonum Persicaria. P. orientate. P. arifolium. Octandria [Trig ytum*l 



Order 3. Trigynia. 



184. MELANTHIUM. L. A'ult. Gen. 343. 

 (Or. Melas, black, and Anthos, a flower ; the flowers becoming of a dark color.] 



Moxoicouslt Polygamous: Perianth corolla-like, deeply G-partcd, 

 rotate, persistent; segments suborbicular, with 2 glands at base, 

 unguiculate. Stamens inserted on the claws of the perianth- 

 segments. Ovary superior (often abortive) ; styles persistent. Cap- 

 pile trigonous-ovoid, 3-celled (or 3 connate capsules); apex 3-horned, 

 partly trifid. Seeds numerous, compressed, membranaccously mar- 

 gined. 



Herbaceous: leaves alternate, somewhat gramineous," with parallel nerves; 

 flowers in a terminal racemose panicle. Nat. Ord. 243. Lindl. Melakthace*. 

 1. M. yirgiwicum, L. Leaves linear-lanceolate ; panicle pyramidal, 

 with simple racemose branches ; segments of the perianth at first orbi- 

 cular, finally ovate-oblong, subhastate, or auriculate. Beck, Bot. //. 

 3fi& 



