Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/765

Juncus. out; pith continuous, not irregularly interrupted. Inflorescence lateral; cymes large, much branched, effuse or contracted; branches unequal in length. Flowers ⅛ in. long, pale, distinct or crowded on the ultimate branches of the cyme, in some forms almost secund. Perianth-segments lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, rather rigid, pale, the 3 inner slightly smaller than the outer. Stamens 6. Capsule exceeding the perianth, ovoid-trigonous, obtuse, pale, shining, incompletely 3-celled. Seeds very minute, ferruginous, obliquely oblong, tipped with a white point.—''Benth. Fl. Austral.'' vii. 130; ''Buchen. Monog. Junc.'' 237. J. vaginatus, ''Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 263, and Handb. N.Z. Fl. 289 (not of R. Br.)''. J. macrostigma, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii. (1885) 253.

2. J. pauciflorus, R. Br. Prodr. 259.—Usually very slender, 9–24 in. high. Rhizome short, horizontal, creeping. Stems densely crowded on the rhizome, $1⁄25$–$1⁄10$ in. diam., erect, terete, wiry, smooth or finely striate; pith continuous or interrupted; basal scales closely appressed, usually red-brown, smooth and shining below, strongly grooved above. Inflorescence lateral; cymes lax, irregularly compound; branches few, slender, spreading. Flowers not nearly so numerous as in the allied species and sometimes very few, distinct, about $1⁄10$ in. long, pale or dark-chestnut. Perianth-segments equal or the outer rather longer, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or the inner obtuse, margins broad, membranous. Stamens 6 or 3. Capsule exceeding the perianth, ovoid-trigonous, obtuse or shortly pointed, shining, stramineous to chestnut-brown, incompletely 3-celled. Seeds minute, obliquely obovoid, ferruginous, apiculate.—''Benth. Fl. Austral.'' vii. 129; Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. (1882) 384; ''Buchen. Monog. Junc.'' 238.

Not uncommon in wet places throughout. Sea-level to 2500 ft. December–February.

Also in Australia, where it ranges from Queensland to Tasmania. In its usual state distinguished without much difficulty by the small size, very slender stems, lax few-flowered inflorescence, and ovoid-trigonous capsule dis-