* ƒ t 898 ]
J U N C U S biglumis.
Tw o-flow ered. R u jli,
HEXANDRIA Manegynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. of 6 leaves, permanent. Cor. none.
Caff, fuperior, of 3 valves, with x or 3 cells. Seeds
feveral. Stigmas 3.
Spec. Char, Leaves flat, Head .terminal, of two
flowers, leaning to one fide, leafy at the bafe.
Syn. Juncus biglumis. Linn. Sp. PI. 467. Sm. FI.
Brit. 382. Hudf. 649. With. 348. Hull. 76.
Light/, u p o . FI. Dan. t. 120.
JN/Tr . G. DON, who favoured us with this rare plant,
jiffures us it is fcldom found on any other hill than Ben Lawers
in Bredalbane; the Rev. Mr. Stuart however, its firft difcoverer
in Britain, mentions two or three highland mountains as producing
it. We are perfuaded there are few Britilh plants lefs
known, nor any fpecies more certainly diftinft, though Mr.
Lightfoot fufpedhed it might be a variety of J triglumis (fee the
next plate), and feveral botanifts have fince confounded them
together. The learned Dr. Montin, a diftinguilhed pupil of
Linnaeus, originally found the J. biglumis in Lapland, and
defcribed it in a note to his treatife on Splachnunt, publifhed
in the Amcenitates Academicts.
J. biglumis is perennial, and flowers in Auguft, The little
fibrous roots run deep into the Loggy foil of fmall mountain
rills. The ftem is from 2 to 4 inches high, leafy, Ample,
round. Leaves awl-fhaped, flat, eredt, Iheathing at their bafe.
Flowers terminal, one above the other, and both leaning to
one fide, having a fmall bractea below them, and a longer
upright leafy one furmounting the uppermoft flower. Calyx-
leaves lanceolate, equal, keeled, variegated with green and
a dark chocolate hue. Stamina a little longer than the calyx,
as is alfo the capfule when ripe, though the germen is not
above half fo long.
One flower being placed above the other decidedly marks
this fpecies.