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J U N C U S trifidus.
Three-leaved Rush.
HEXANDRIA Monogynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. of 6 leaves, permanent. Cor. none.
Caps, superior, of 3 valves, with 1 or 3 cells.
Seeds several. Stigmas 3.
Spec. Char. Stem naked, terminated by three leaves
and about as many flowers.
Syn. Juncus trifidus. Linn. Sp. P I. 465. Sm. F I.
B r it. 378. Huds. 149. With. 345. H ull. 75.
L ig h tf. 183. t. 9. f . 1. Dicks. H . S ic c .fa s c . 1 . 6.
F I. Dan. t. 107. Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 521.
J. acumine reflexo, trifidus. Bauh. P rodr. 22.
Theatr. 185.
A NATIVE of alpine bogs in Scotland, which Lightfoot
says he gathered on several mountains of that country. It is
perennial, and flowers in July.
Root creeping, tufted, black, with many long fibres. Stems
4 or 5 inches high, erect, straight, round, smooth, unbranched,
sheathed at the base with many scales and a few shortish
awl-shaped leaves. At the top of the stem grow about 3
similar upright leaves, with sheathing bases, in whose bosoms
stand from 1 to 3, sometimes more, dark-brown sessile
flowers. We find a solitary flower most common in British
specimens, and even in exotic ones from elevated situations,
in which case it is the J. monanthos of Jacquin; but when the
plant is flourishing, 3 are certainly its natural number, and
the leaves are almost always 3. The capsule is elliptical,
sharply pointed, with 3 cells and many seeds.