LUZULA FORSTERI. NARROW-LEAVED HAIRY
RUSH.
LUZULA Forsteri; foliis pilosis, corymbo subsimpiici, pedunculis unifloris erectis, perianthii foliolis
lanceolato-acuminatis, capsula mucronata.
LUZULA Forsteri. Decand. Syn. FI. Gall. p. 150. Decand. Ic. PI. Gall. Par. t. 2. Gaudin Agrost.
Helv. tiol. 2. p. 238. Bicheno in Linn. Trans, tool. 12.
JU N CU S Forsteri. Smith Engl. Bot. t. 1293. FI. B rit, in Ad d .p . 1395. Alton Hort. Kero. ed. 3.
vol. 2.p . 311.
Class and Order. H EX A N D R IA MONOGYNIA.
[N atural Order. JU N C E iE , Decand. B r rn n . JU N C I, Juss. T R IP E TA LO ID E jE, Linn.}
Gen . Char. Perigonium sex-partitum, glumaceum. Stamina sex. Capsula unilocularis, trisperma, trivalvis;
valvulis septo destitutis. Folia plana bine inde pilosa. Decand.
Radix perennis, repens, stolbnifera, dense fibrosa, cæs-
pitosa.
Culmi plures ex eadem radice, erecti, filiformes, foliosi,
vix pedales, teretes, striati, glabri.
Folia lineari-lanceolata, acuta, laste viridia, tenera, erec-
ta, glabra, subnitida, striata, margine vaginarunique
orificio pilosis, superiora sensim breviora,
magisque remota.
Flores paniculati, panicula laxa, composita.
PedüNCüli, basi bracteis parvis vaginantibus membra-
naceis piloso-ciliatis sufïulti, inæquales, subcorym-
bosi, di- vel trichotomi, erecti, rarissime hic illic
retroflexi, unifiori, flore intermedio sessili.
Peria n thii Foliola lanceolato-acuminata, fere cus-
pidata, fusca, uninervia, margine membranacea,
alba, tria interiora pallidiora :—ad basin brae- ;
teæ duæ ovatæ, acutte, sæpe cuspidatæ, membra-
nacéæ, albidæ.
Stam in a : Filamenta sex, brévia. Antheræ oblongæ,
fiavæ.
PlSTlLLUM : Germen globoso-ti'iquetrum. Stylus brevis.
Stigmata tria, filiformia, longa, villosa.
Capsula ovato-globosa, obtuse triquetra, apice acuta,
styli basi persistente mucronata, perianthio pau-
lo breviùr, nitida, flavo-fusca, trivalvis, valvis in-
tus linea media longitudinali elevata, unilocularis,
trisperma, uno sæpe abortivo.
Semina ovata, nigro-fusca, caruncula iis duplo breviore
siccitate rugosa pallide fusca coronata.
Root perennial, creeping, stoloniferous, thickly fibrous,
casspitose.
Culms many from the same root, erect, filiform, leafy,
scarcely a foot high, round, striated, smooth.
Leaves linear-lanceolate, acute, deep green, rather soft,
erect, i smooth, somewhat shining, striated, with
the margin and the orifice of the sheaths pilose,
the superior ones gradually shorter and more
remote.
Flowers panicled, panicle lax, compound.
Peduncles, at the base having small sheathing piloso-
ciliated bracteas, unequal, subcorymbose, di- or
trichotomous, erect, very rarely here and there
bent back, one-flowered, with an intermediate
sessile flower.
Leaflets of the Perianth lanceolato-acuminate,
almost cuspidate, brown, one-nerved, the margin
membranaceous, white, the three interior ones
paler:—-at the base are two ovate, acute, often
cuspidate, membranaceous, whitish bracteas.
Stamens : Filaments six, short. Anthers oblong, yellow.
Pistil : Germen globoso-triangular. Style short. Stigmas
three, filiform, long, hairy.
Capsule ovato-globose, obtusely triangular, at the apex
acute, mucronate with the base of the persistent
style, a little shorter than the perianth, shining,
yellow brown, three-valved, the valves having within
a middle longitudinal elevated line, one-celled,
with three seeds, one of them often abortive.
Seeds ovate, blackish brown, crowned with a pale
brown caruncle which is half their length and
shrivelled when dry.
Fig. I. Floral braqteas. Fig. 2. Flower expanded. Fig. 3. Germen. Fig. 4. Capsule surrounded by its perianth.
Fig. 5. Capsule removed from the perianth. Fig. 6. Capsule with its valves opening. Fig. 7. Single valve
of the capsule with a seed. Fig. 8. Seed.—All more or less magnified.
Communicated from the New Forest, Hampshire, by Charles Lyell, Esq., and from Box Hill, Surrey, by Mr.
Graves, on the same day, (the 14th of April,) in full flower. The specimen from the former gentleman, who had
marked it “ Juncus pilosus,—is J . Forsteri really distinct,” almost shook my faith in it as a good species. One
panicle of flowers had the branchlets decidedly retro-flexed, as represented in the figure; and I must confess that
the other characters noticed by authors are not at first sight very apparent. The leaflets of the perianth, however,
are longer and narrower than L . pilosa generally has them, yet not a t all. more so than Curtis’s figure of that plant
represents them in the Old Series of this work; the capsules are less obtuse, and mostly terminated by the persistent
base of the style. These are marks which continue visible also in specimens that have been cultivated for
years in my garden: and to them may be added, its slenderer habit and paler colour, especially about the flowers.
A Luzula very nearly allied to this is the Juncus flavescens of Host, in which the flowers are fewer, and the
whole plant is of a yellowish liue. The floral bracteas are said to be ciliated; but in the specimens which I possess,
this is not more the case than with L . Forsteri, in which the margins of the bracteas are frequently more or less
lacerated.
Mr. Graves finds it abundantly in the lanes and wood-sides in the vicinity of Dartford, Kent, as also in various
parts of Surrey, and observes that it usually affects drier situations than L . pilosa.