few, many-flowered, from 3 to 4 lines in diameter, about
from 3 to 5 in a trichotomous panicle, or wholly sessile and
spiked ; sometimes solitary. Bracteae solitary to each head,
either lanceolate, acuminate, and wholly membranous,
shorter than the flowers, or longer, terminated in an awl-
shaped, leafy appendage. Flowers 8 or 10 in a head, each
furnished at the base with an ovate-lanceolate, acuminate,
chaffy scale. Perianth composed of 6 lanceolate acute
leaves, of a tawny colour; the 3 innermost rather longer
and broader, and furnished with a white scariose margin.
Capsule linear-oblong, triquetrous, exceeding the perianth
in length, black and glossy, terminated by the short, persistent,
truncate style.
This species differs from Juncus lampocarpus in its cylindrical,
not compressed leaves; in its few, many-flowered
heads, and in its longer and narrower capsule. The beak
of the capsule is much shorter, and the leaves of the perianth
acute, not acuminate, as in J . acutijlorus. In J . ustu-
latus of Hoppe, which Sprengel regards as the same with
fusco-ater of Schreber, the panicle is composed of many
heads; the leaves of the perianth are very blunt, almost
rounded at the apex, and the capsule shorter, blunter, and
of a chesnut colour. The specimen of this in the Smithian
herbarium was received from the late Dr. Panzer, and is
from Salzburg. In Davall’s herbarium there is a Swiss
specimen collected by Favrod, and marked with a query
J . stj/gius, which may possibly prove to be identical with
our plant.
On examining the specimen from Dickson in the Smithian
herbarium of what my late distinguished friend took for
J . gracilis, t. 2174, in a young state, it proves to be only a
miserable specimen of J . compressus, to which I fear the
figure of Gesner must be also referred. A comparison of
specimens appears to confirm the opinion of Dr. Hooker as
to its identity with Juncus tenuis of Pursh.—D. D on.