278 MR. J. G. BAKER ON THE 
pedunculis dense fasciculatis vagina laxa quam pedunculus 2-4plo breviore 
preditis, capitulis parvis depresso-globosis, receptaculo glabro, floribus 
trimeris bracteisque apice parce breviter albo-penicillatis, bracteis oblanceo- 
latis flori zequilongis, perianthii segmentis membranaceis nigricantibus. 
Stem slender, floating, submerged, 4-1 ft. long, beset throughout 
with close spreading capillary leaves 2-3 in. long.  Peduncles a 
dozen or more in a fascicle at the top of the stem, 3-9 in. long, 
with a loose cylindrical basal sheath 13-2 in. long. Capitula 
depresso-globose, 4-1 in. in diam., the blackish bracts and flowers 
with only a few very short deciduous white hairs at the tip. 
Bracts oblanceolate, membranous, as long as the flowers. Flowers 
all pedicellate ; female with 6 segments of similar texture and 
colour to the braets, the outer obovate navicular, the inner ob- 
lanceolate ; fruit globose, deeply 3-lobed, chestnut-brown, glossy. 
Male flowers with 6 stamens and very short inner segments.— 
Central Madagasear, floating in the lakes, Parker! Baron 926! 
This belongs to a group of which Æ. setaceum, Linn., is the type, 
of whieh the three species already known are Indian and Aus- 
tralian. It is one of the water-plants known under the name of 
* Volondrano." 
MESANTHEMUM PLATYPHYLLUM, n. 8p. 
M. foliis glabris linearibus vel ensiformibus, pedunculo glabro 1 2-2-pedali, 
vagina semipedali apice libero lanceolato, capitulo depresso-globoso, bracteis 
exterioribus oblongis rigidis 2-3-seriatis interioribus capitulo zquilongis, 
receptaculo dense piloso, floribus bracteisque apice dense albo-penicillatis, 
perianthii segmentis olivaceis foeminei exterioribus oblongis interioribus 
oblanceolatis. 
Rootstock stout, perennial, with a tuft of cylindrical root-fibres. 
Leaves in a dense basal tuft, subcoriaceous, glossy, quite glabrous, 
6-9 in. long, 1-1 in. broad at the base, tapering gradually to the 
obtuse tip. Peduncle 14-2 ft. long, terete, slender, conspicuously 
ribbed, with a tight glabrous sheath about half a foot long, with a 
small free lanceolate tip. Capitula depresso-globose, above 2 in. 
in diam. ; involucre of about 3 rows of very obtuse bracts of coria- 
ceous texture, the outer much shorter than the inner, which 
just equal the flowers. Inner bracts and perianth-segments 
olive-green, membranous, with a dense tuft of persistent white 
hairs at the tip. Outer flowers sessile, female, with 3 oblong 
outer segments and 3 oblanceolate inner ones. Male flowers pedi- 
cellate, with 6 stamens. Central Madagascar, Baron 1863! Mr. 
