254 FLORA. 



4. Juncoides spicatum (L.) Kuntze. Spiked Wood-rush. (I. F. f. 962.) 

 Closely tufted, without rootstocks. Stems erect, 1-4 dm. high, distantly 1-3- 

 leaved; leaf- blades 1-3 mm. broad, often involute, especially above, sparingly webby, 

 especially at the base; inflorescence a nodding, spike-like, often interrupted panicle, 

 commonly 1-2.5 cm. in length; bractlets ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, sparingly 

 lacerate; perianth brown, 2-3 mm. long, its parts lanceolate, aristate-acuminate; 

 capsule broadly ovoid, bluntly acute, about two-thirds as long as the perianth; 

 seed narrowly and obliquely obovoid, about 3 mm. long. Lab. to Alaska, moun- 

 tains of N. Eng., N. N. Y., Colo, and Cal. Also in Europe and Asia. 



5. Juncoides nivale (Laest.) Coville. Arctic Wood-rush. (I. F. f. 963.) 

 Stems tufted, 5-10 cm. high, I- or 2-leaved. Leaves with sheaths glabrous at the 

 mouth, their blades 2-4 mm. broad, flat and tapering to a usually blunt and cal- 

 lous tip; inflorescence an erect oblong to ovate, spike-like cluster, 1.3 cm. in height 

 or less; bractlet and perianth dark purple, the former ovate and sparingly lacerate 

 at the hyaline apex; perianth-parts 1.5-2 mm. in length, narrowly oblong; capsule 

 subspheric, exceeding the perianth; seed narrowly oblong, about I mm. long. 

 Baffin Bay to Alaska. Also in arctic and alpine Europe and Asia. 



6. Juncoides hyperbdreum (R. Br.) Sheldon. Northern Wood-rush. 

 (I. F. f. 964.) Stems tufted, commonly 1-2 dm. high, erect, I -2-leaved. Leaves 

 with sheaths sparingly ciliate at the mouth, the blades erect, 1-3 mm. wide at the 

 base, usually involute in age; tapering into a very sharp tip; inflorescence erect, 

 consisting of a single oblong cluster, or its one or two lower divisions on peduncles 

 1-3 cm. long; bracts and bractlets membranous, fimbriate; perianth-parts brown, 

 paler above, about 2.5 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, denticulate or slightly 

 lacerate at the apex; capsule about three-fourths as long as the perianth, ovoid, 

 obtuse; seed rather narrowly oblong. Arctic America, Lab. and the higher moun- 

 tains of N. Eng. Also in Europe and Asia. 



7. Juncoides campestre (L.) Kuntze. Common Wood-rush. (I. F. f. 965.) 

 Stems tufted, 1-5 dm. high, 2-4-leaved. Leaf-blades flat, 2-7 mm. broad, taper- 

 ing to a blunt tip, sparingly webbed when young ; inflorescence umbelloid ; lower 

 bracts foliose; floral bracts ovate, acuminate; bractlets similar but smaller, fimbri- 

 ate at the apex; perianth 2-3 mm. long, brown, its parts lanceolate-ovate, acumi- 

 nate; capsule obovoid or broadly oblong; seed with an oblong body about I mm. 

 in length, supported on a narrower white, loosely cellular, strophiole-like base about 

 one-half as long. In woodlands, almost throughout the U. S. and Br. Am. Also 

 in Europe and Asia. Variable. One of our earliest flowering plants. 



Family 2. MELANTHACEAE R. Br. 



Bunch-flower Family. 



Leafy-stemmed herbs (some exotic genera scapose), with rootstocks or 

 rarely with bulbs, the leaves parallel-veined. Flowers regular, racemose, 

 panicled or solitary. Perianth of 6 separate or nearly separate, usually 

 persistent segments. Stamens 6, borne on the bases of the perianth- 

 segments. Anthers small, 2-celled, or confluently i-celled and cordate or 

 reniform, mostly versatile and extrorsely dehiscent (introrse in Tofieldia 

 and A ba ma). Ovary 3-celled, superior or rarely partly inferior; ovules 

 anatropous or amphitropous. Styles 3, distinct, or more or less united. 

 Fruit a capsule with septicidal dehiscence (loculicidal in Abama and 

 Uvular to). Seeds commonly tailed or appendaged. Embryo small, in 

 usually copious endosperm. About 36 genera and 140 species, widely 

 distributed. 



Flowers numerous in terminal erect racemes or panicles. 

 Anthers oblong or ovate, 2-celled. 

 Anthers introrsely dehiscent. 



Capsule septicidal; flowers involucrate by 3 bractlets. 1. Tofieldia. 

 Capsule loculicidal ; flowers not involucrate. 2. Abama, 



