Perennial. — Flowers in April and May. 
Root creeping, tough, somewhat woody, with numerous blackish 
fibres. Culms solitary, from 3 or 4, to 10 inches high, upright, 
simple, straight, nearly round, leafy. Leaves strap-shaped, flat, 
5-nerved, dark green, often of a reddish-brown colour at their 
summits, with long silky hairs on their margins, and especially at 
the top of the sheaths. Spikes or Clusters 3 or 4, one of which is 
nearly sessile, the rest on simple peduncles, either upright or droop- 
ing ; each cluster egg-shaped, or roundish, of from 4 to 6 or 8 
crowded, nearly sessile flowers, with several, small, membranous, 
fringed, shining, silvery bracteas at the base of each flower. Calyx- 
leaves ( sepals } egg-spear-shaped, pointed, dark brown, shining, 
with a stout ribbed keel, and pale membranous margin. Filaments 
very short. Capsule 3-sided, roundish, considerably shorter than 
the calyx, pale brown, very blunt at the extremity, with a small 
point. Seeds kidney-shaped, olive coloured, with a white appen- 
dage, or crest, by which it is attached to the receptacle. 
The marginal hairs of this, and the other species of the genus, 
are singularly constructed ; being composed of a number of smaller 
fibres, which are jointed and twisted, so that by applying moisture, 
or breathing upon them, when dry, they untwist themselves. 
Luzula congesta of De Candolle, which is found in boggy 
situations, is considered by many Botanists as only a variety of 
L. campestris. It differs in having a taller culm, longer leaves, 
and a panicle composed either of many heads cl ustered into one, or 
several little egg-shaped heads of flowers standing on long pedun- 
cles in somewhat of an umbellate form. It also flowers a month 
later than L. campestris. This is not uncommon about Oxford. It 
is well figured in Mr. Purton’s Midland Flora, v. iii. p. 352. t. 9. 
The Natural Order, Junce/e, is composed of herbaceous plants, 
with fascicled or fibrous roots ; fistular, or flat and channelled leaves, 
with parallel veins ; an often more or less capitate inflorescence ; 
and generally brown or green flowers. Their perianth is inferior, 
6-parted, and more or less glumaceous ; their stamens are 6 in 
number, and are inserted into the base of the segments of the pe- 
rianth ; sometimes they are only 3, and then they are opposite the 
outer segments. The ovary is 1- or 3-celled, and 1- or many- 
seeded, or 1-celled and 3-seeded. The style is simple, with usually 
3 stigmas, but sometimes only 1 . The fruit is capsular, with 3 
valves, bearing the dissepiment in their middle, rarely destitute of 
valves, and 1-seeded by abortion. Embryo cylindrical, at the base 
of a hard fleshy or cartilaginous albumen . — The only British genera 
in this order, are, 1. Juncus; 2. Luzula ; and 3 . Narthesium. 
They are, for the most part, inconspicuous, rigid plants, of very 
little use. Some species of Juncus are employed for making the 
bottoms of chairs, See. ; and the pith for the wick of common 
candles ; and Juncus effusus is cultivated in Japan for making 
floor-mats. 
