FEESHWATEB HYDROCHAEIDE^ OF AFRICA. 235 



L. DENSTJS, n. sp. Planta densa, elongata, habitus JVaiadis in- 

 diece. Folia copiosa et dense congesta, atro-viridia, anguste 



linearia acuta, | unciam longa, f mm. lata; dentes 45-50 in 



utraque marginc; longiusculi subbappressi, versus aplcem folii 



copiosiores ; floras minuti ; petala et sepala ovata obtusa ; 



stigmata subclavata crassiuscula breviter fissa ; staminum rudi- 



meiita tria tenuia ; ovarium obconicum ; periantbii tubus gracilis 



capillaceus, | unciam longus vel ultra; bractea lanceolata longe 



acuminata abrupte obtusa, profunda fissa edentata ; capsula 



elliptica 4 mm. longa. 



Madagascar, Imerina, Hildchrandt 3804 ! Herb. Brit. Mas. 



A dense, compact, dark green plant, with very numerous leaves. 

 The female flowers are all that I have seen. The stigmata much 

 resemble those of L, Steudneri, Casp. The rudimentarj anthers 

 are fairly large and conspicuous, and the perianth-lobes are ovate 

 and obtuse. The bract subtending tbe ovary is very deeply cleft, 

 the lacinise being rather narrow and acuminate and longer than 



the ovary. 



L. MABAGASCARIEKSTS, Caspavy in Bel, Rtitenh. ii. p. 252, 

 1. 18. — Madagascar. Prope Marovay : flowers Avhite ; May 1S8C 

 Rildehrandt no. 3422 ! Herb. Brit. Mus., Kew. 



Hildebrandt's plant, which I take to be the species described 

 by Caspary, is a laxer, shorter-leaved plant than the preceding. 

 The leaves in the upper part of the stems are often no more than 

 5 mm. long and | broad, somewbat recurved, bright green when 

 moistened, and with a very distinct midrib. The leaf-buds 

 and tbe adjacent leaves are frequently purplish. The spathe of 

 the female flower did not appear to me to extend so far beyond 

 the ovary as is shown in Caspary's figure, and the lacinise in this 

 plant were blunter. The fruit was not seen by Caspary. It is 

 oval elliptical in outline, | cm. in length. The seeds are cylin- 

 drical, with an elliptical outline, beaked at each end, longitudinally 

 striate and dark brown ; they are 1 mm. in length, and there 

 are 4 or 5 in the capsule. 



The plant has more the appearance of a Hydrilla than Z. densus^ 

 on account of the shortness of the leaves, especially in the upper 

 parts, where, too, they are almost opposite. The length of the 

 internodes is often as much as 5 mm., which also adds to the 

 resemblance. 



Another species was obtained in Madagascar by Hildebrandt, 

 Imerina, no. 3523, which is quite distinct from either of the other 



