JUNCUS. 



JUNCACEiE. 



327 



5. Juncus polycephalus, Michx. Many -headed Rush. 



Stem terete, leafy ; leaves terete, compressed, nodose ; inflorescence terminal, compound, 

 longer than the involucral leaves ; heads many-flowered, globose ; leaflets of the perianth 

 lanceolate, tapering to a slender mucronate point ; stamens 3 ; capsules oblong-triangular, 

 abruptly acuminate, about the length of the perianth or sometimes longer ; seeds tailed at each 

 end.— Michx. fl. 1. p. 192 ; Pursh, ft. 1. p. 237 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 364 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 409 ; 

 Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 140 ; Beck, hot. p. 273 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 228 ; Hook. fl. Bor-Am. 

 2. p. 190 (in part). J. echinatus, Muhl. gram. p. 207. 



var. 1. crassifolius : leaves thick, conspicuously compressed ; inflorescence rather compact, 

 very compound ; heads 8 - 15-flowered ; capsule longer than the perianth, brown. — Michx. 

 I. c. J. scirpoides, Lam. enc. 3. p. 267 ? ; Kunth, enum. 3. p. 340 (var. a.). J. macrostemon, 

 J. Gay in Laharpe, June. p. 52 (fide Kunth). J. Canadensis, J. Gay in Laharpe, June, 

 p. 64 ? ex Kunth, I. c. 



var. 2. paradoxus : leaves thick ; inflorescence very compound, loose ; heads many- 

 flowered ; capsule about the length of the perianth. J. paradoxus, E. Mey. June. p. 30 ? ; 

 Kunth, I. c. p. 341 ? J. fraternus, Kunth, I. c. p. 340 ? 



var.? 3. depauperatus : leaves slender ; inflorescence loose and spreading ; heads small, 

 4 - 8-flowered ; leaflets of the perianth a little shorter than the capsule, acute but not cuspi- 

 date ; seeds elliptical, scarcely tailed. 



Rhizoma creeping. Stem 1 — 24 feet high, fistular, erect, somewhat rigid. Leaves distinctly 

 nodose. Inflorescence more or less compound. Heads, in vars. 1 and 2, about one-third of 

 an inch in diameter ; in var. 3, much smaller. Perianth greenish ; the leaflets rigid, and 

 terminating in a subulate point, except in var. 3, where they are merely acute. Capsule 

 prismatic, with a short abrupt acumination, chestnut-colored. Seeds elliptical, with a con- 

 spicuous subulate appendage or tail at each end. 



Wet places : var. 1, borders of ponds and rivers, frequent; var. 2, deep swamps ; var. 3, 

 Buffalo creek {Dr. Kinnicutt <J- Dr. Gray). Fl. July. Fr. September. The third variety 

 differs so much from the others in its perianth and seeds, that I was at first inclined to describe 

 it as a distinct species, but have concluded to leave it for further examination. 



6. Juncus aouminatus, Michx. Sharp-fruited Rush. 



Stem erect, terete ; leaves somewhat compressed, with distant nodes ; inflorescence de- 

 compound, rather dense ; heads 3 - 6-flowered, the flowers erect ; leaflets of the perianth 

 linear-lanceolate, equal, acute ; stamens 3 ; capsule prismatic, acutely triangular, abruptly 

 acute, one-third longer than the perianth ; seed tailed at each end. — Michx. fl. 1. p. 192 ; 

 Pursh, fl. I. p. 237 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 409 ; Ton: fl. 1. p. 363 ; Beck, hot. p. 372 ; Darlingt. 

 fl. Cest. p. 227 ; Kunth, enum. 3. p. 335. J. sylvaticus, Muhl. gram. p. 206, not of Willd, 

 J. acutiflorus, ft., Jlook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 190. 



