52 



BOOTTIA CORDATA. Tab. 65. 



Habitat in aquis stagnantlbus ripae Irawaddi prope Avain, montiumque viclnarum. Floret mensibus Septembri 

 — Novembri. 



Planta acaulis, carnosa, glabra, limo adfixa, maximS parte submersa, gregaria, 2 — 3-pedalis. Radix constans fibris copiosis, succu- 

 lentis, simplicissimis, 2 — 6-pollicaribus, intJis albis, epidcrmide laevi, pallid^ ferruginea obtectis, ex area plantoe basilari, plana, orbicular!, 

 poUicari undique ortis. Foua numerosa, basibus petiolorum latis, imbricantibus caulem brevem, crassum mentientia, vernatione 

 marginibus utrinque involutis; duplicis indolis. Qusedam nempfe suhmersa, situ exteriora, erecto-patula, oblongo-lanceolata, acuta, 

 undulata, sub lente niinutlm et creberrime crenulato-ciliata, utrinque, prsecipu^ deorsiim attenuata, tenuia ct nicnibranacea, flaccida, 

 atroviridia, Irevia, utrinque lineolis fuscis, latiusculis, rcctis, transversis inscripta, 8 — 12-pollicaria, supra lucida, subti\s opaca, costa vald6 

 elevata et crassa in petiolum desinente brevissimum, poUicarem, h basi folii decurrente marginatum, nervisque paucis, reraotis, capillaceis, 

 suboppositis, vakl^ obliquis. Alia folia natantia, illjs copiosiora, longh petiolata, ovato- vel oblongo-cordata, obtusa vel subacuta, 

 intcgerrima, 4 — 6-pollicaria, coriacea, loevia, sinu basis profundo, angusto, fundo pariim dilatato, lobis poUicaribus, rotundis, semi- imbrican- 

 tibus ; plana, suprji atroviridia, lucida, subti^s })allidiora, opaca, 7 — 9-nervia, nervis gracilibus, indivisis, ex apice petioli plano-dilatata 

 usque ad apicem folii ferti parallelt; excurrentibus, exterioribus utrinque duobus juxta curvaturam marginum loborum basis arcuatis, 

 coeteris rectis, prominentibus, intermedio pauUo majore, carinato ; nervis aliis capillaceis, obsoletissimis, punctisque minutis, elevatis, 

 longitudinalitfer seriatis interjectis ; venis transversis, parallelis, numerosis et approximatis, vix elevatis, fuscis. Petioli carnosi, crassi, 

 erecti, 3-angulares, supri latiusculi et plani, subti^s convexi et carlnati, angulis aculeis minutis, hyalinis asperis ; pedales ad bipedales, 

 basi mcmbranaceo-dilatati ct imbricantes. Scapi 5 vel G in singula planta ex sinubus petiolorum solitarii, erecti, cylindrici, carnosi, 

 petiolos longitudine sequantes, hisce tamen crassiores, nudi ; basi graciles, subcoraplanati, albicantes ; sursiim sensim dilatati, ad inser- 

 tionem spathoe dilatato-complanati, soepi; digitum minimum crassi. Inflorescentia terminalis, supra aquae superficicra elevata, crecta, 

 spatha monophylla inclusa, dioica. Spatha mascula multiflora, compressa, ovato-cordata, vel oblonga, hinc convexa, indti plana, vel 

 concaviuscula, 2 — 3-pollicaris, carnosa, nervosa, punctis innumeris, elevatis, conicis, seriatim dispositis aspera, intCis pallida, laevis, 

 marginibus compressis, porrectis, ore contracto, partem compresso, multi-dentato, dentibus ina^qualibus, ovatis, acutis, erectis. Florks 

 20 — 30, magni, candidi, centro lutescentes, infundibuliformi-patentcs, diametro l|-pollicares, longissime pedunculati supraquc spatha; 

 OS elevati. Pedunculi graciles, cylindrici, albi, leeves, sursum levit^r rubescentes, spatha dimidi6 vel dupl6, interdum tripl6 longiores^ 

 fundo ejus dens^ inserti, apice parum incrassati. Perianthium 6-partitum: lacinice 3 exteriores oblongo-lanceolatce, acuta}, plante, 

 unguiculares, erectiusculse, pallid^ lutescentes, venulosse, nervo dorsali obsoleto apiceque viridescentibus ; interiores istis alternantes 

 duploquc majores, petaloidece, tenuissim^ membranaceae, obovata;, rotundato-obtusoe, integerrima?, candidce, juxta nervos 8 capillaceos 

 eleganter plicatae, deorsi'im angustats9i planar et lutescentes, ajstivatione vari^ plicate et a laciniis exterioribus imbricantibus inclusa;. 

 Stamina 12, erecta et parallela, duplici serie opposita disposita ; 6 nempfe exteriora, lacinias exteriores longitudine sequantia ; 6- interiora 

 hisce opposita, dimidi6 longiora. Filamenta distincta, carnosa, filiformia, levitiir complanata, lutescentia, pilis moUissimis, multis 

 patentibus ciliata. * Anther/e magnae, glabra;, caniosa;, erecta;, oblonga;, utrinque longitudinalitiir dehiscentes, polline copioso, aureo, 

 globulari ; exteriores filamentis fer^ longiores ; interiores iisdem breviores. Ovaria nulla. Styli 3, filiformes, pilosi, erecti, filamentis 

 pari'im longiores, glanduUs 3 centralil)us, carnosis, brevibus, sessilibus, ovatis, flavis, laciniis perianthii interioribus oppositis {stamimhus 

 sterUibus ?) alternantes. Stigmata profundc biloba, stylos longitudine a;quantia, linearia, obtusa, levittr divergentia, lutea, basi pai-iim 

 pflosa. Spatha fceminea in distincta planta, mascula mult6 minor, 1 -flora, oblonga, irregularitJir 3- vel 4-angulata, glabra, aut i)unctis 

 minutis, seriatis asperula, sursum vix angustata, ore vald^ ina;qualit^r dentato, dentibus lanceolatis, acutis. Flos solitarius, sessilis. 

 Perianthium epigynum, 6-partitum, patens ; lacinicB onmmh ut in flore masculo. Ovarium inferum, cylindraceo-carnosum, oblon"-uni, 

 Iseve, nitidum, sursum vix angustius, poUicare vel ultrii, spatha ferfe omnint) inclusum et cavitatem ejus totam replens, pseudo- 

 multiloculare, polyspermum, placentis 9 ad 15 parietalibus, liberis, ad axin excurrentibus, utrinque ovula plurima minuta, globulosa ad- 

 figentibus. Styli 9, aliquand6 15, graciles, filifoi-mes, minuthn papillosi, erectiusculi. Stigmata ut in flore masculo sed angustiora, diver- 

 gentia. Filamenta steuilia tot quot styli, bisque intermixta, nunc fasciculata, filiformia, glabra, nuda. Glandule centrales 3, camosEe, 

 ovatae, crcnulatae, brevissimte. 



This is one of the most charming water plants with which I am acquainted. It grows in vast quantities in ponds, 

 sometimes occupying nearly their whole surface. The roots arc loosely attached to the bottom, while the rest of the 

 plant is partly submerged and partly floating or erect above the water. Tlie plant is two or three feet high, and 

 consists Of a great number of leaves and scapes, which are of a fleshy consistency, and have a dark-green colour. ' The 

 leaves are of two sorts. Tliosc which are submerged are almost sessile, oblong-lanceolate, waved, nearly a foot Ion- 

 of a thin and membranous texture, elegantly variegated on the underside with numerous short, parallel, transverse.' 

 brown bands or stripes. The other leaves are supported on long petioles, and float on the surface of the water i 

 they are peculiarly symmetrical, of an ovate-cordate form, perfectly entire, with from seven to nine parallel nerves; 

 the underside is beautifully decorated with numerous short, brown veins between the nerves. Tlie spathes vary in" 

 size and form ; the males are many-flowered and covered with innumerable elevated points, arranged in lon-itudinal 

 lines. Tlie female spathes are smaller and smoother, and always one-flowered. The flowers are lar"-e! white, 

 with a yellow tinge in the centre. ^ 



All the green parts are eaten by the Burmese as pot-herbs, for which purpose they are collected in -reat quanti- 

 ties, and carried to the market at Ava, in the vicinity of which capital the plant is found in ponds, floweHng i)rofusely 



