6. J. bufonius, Linn. Sp. Plant. 328.—Annual, pale-green, much branched from the base, often forming dense tufts, 3–12 in. high; roots fibrous. Leaves radical and cauline, very narrow-linear or almost filiform, sheathing at the base, flat or channelled above, grassy, setaceous, pith not jointed. Cyme large, occupying the greater part of the stem; branches long or short, sometimes flexuous. Flowers ⅙–¼ in. long, sessile or nearly so, solitary or in fascicles of 2–3; bracteoles broadly ovate, scarious, much shorter than the flowers. Perianth-segments lanceolate, acuminate, with broad scarious margins; the 3 inner rather shorter than the outer. Stamens usually 6, but sometimes 3 only in the terminal flowers. Capsule shorter than the erect perianth-segments, obiong, obtuse. Seeds numerous, minute, ovoid-oblong, obtuse, delicately lineolate.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 261; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 290; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 127; Buchen. Monog. Junc. 174.
North and South Islands, Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland Islands: From the Three Kings Islands and the North Cape southwards, abundant. Sea level to 4000 ft. November2January.
Almost universally distributed in temperate climates.
7. J. tenuis, Willd. Sp. Plant. ii. 214.—A laxly tufted perennial, with a short rhizome and numerous wiry roots. Stems several in a tuft, slender, erect, wiry, terete, 9–18 in. high. Leaves few, mostly radical, usually shorter than the stem, very narrow-linear, grassy, flat or more generally involute or channelled; base sheathing, membranous. Cymes terminal, lax, much exceeded by the leafy filiform bracts. Flowers ⅛–⅙ in. long, pale-green, remote or clustered. Perianth-segments lanceolate, acuminate, slightly spreading in fruit. Stamens 6, about half the length of the perianth-segments; anthers ovate. Style very short. Capsule ovoid-trigonous or almost globose, obtuse or slightly retuse, rather shorter than the perianth-segments, pale stramineous. Seeds obliquely obovoid, mmutely apiculate.—Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xi. (1879) 433; Buchen. Monog. Junc. 193. J. involucratus, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. ix. (1877) 550.
North and South Islands: In various localities from Mongonui to Dunedin, not uncommon. Sea-level to 3000 ft. November–January.
An abundant North American plant, extending into some parts of South America, found also in western Europe, &c. It is a very doubtful native of New Zealand, and has certainly increased its range considerably of late years.
8. J. planifolius, R. Br. Prodr. 259.—Tufted, perfectly glabrous, 6–18 in. high. Roots many, long, fibrous. Leaves all radical, much shorter than the stems, numerous, flat and grassy, membranous, 110–14 in. broad, dilated at the base into long imbricating sheaths. Flowering stems or culms long, slender, naked, bearing at the top an irregularly umbellately branched compound cyme; bracts at the
