Tab. 6399. 

 APONOGETON spathacetjm, var. junceum; 



Native of South Africa. 



Nat. Ord. Aponogetone.2e. 

 Genus Aponogeton, Thunb. {Planch, in Ann. So. Nat. Ser. 3, vol. i. p. 107). 



Aponogeton spathaceumj andro-dioicum, spadicibus aliis foamineis aliis herma- 

 phroditis, foliis angustissimis v. elongato-subnlatis obtuse trigonis v. in 

 laminam tenuem elongato-lineari-lanceolatam dilatatis, spadicibus 2-furcatis, 

 ramis brevibus densifloris, bracteolis fioralibus 2 obovato-oblongis obtusis 

 sub-3-nerviis pallide lilacinis, staminibus 6-8, carpellis 3-8. 



A. spatbaceum, E. Meyer in Herb. Drege; Linncea, vol. xx. p. 215. 



Var. junceum, foliis (lamina dilatata nulla) elongato-subulatis obtuse 3-gonis v. 

 ^-teretibus angulis rotundatis; A. spatbaceum, var., E. Meyer in Herb, 

 Drege; A. junceum, Herb. Zeyherj ? A. junceum, Lehn. (in Steud. 

 Nomenclator.) 



This curious little water plant, though long known in 

 Herbaria under the unpublished names cited above, has never, 

 as far as I can ascertain, been described. There are two 

 forms (possibly species), one with a very narrow bladeless 

 leaf, as figured, the other with a narrow flat leaf-blade; 

 between them I find no other difference. Dr. Eeichenbach 

 has presented to Kew, from the Herbarium of Zeyher, a 

 specimen named A. junceum, Eckl. and Zeyher, whence it is 

 probably the A. junceum, Lehm, quoted in Steudel's Nomen- 

 clator, but which I can nowhere find published. 



The genus Aponogeton has been made by Planchon the type 

 of a Natural Order, including itself and Ouvirandra, the 

 lattice leaf (Tabs. 4894 and 50 76); which latter genus should be 

 suppressed, having no other distinguishing character than the 

 well-known and beautiful one of the absence of tissue between 

 the nervules of the leaf. Whether the order Aponogetoncm 

 may not eventually merge into Naiadece or Potamece, must 

 depend on a more comprehensive examination of the whole 

 group of exalbuminous allied water-plants than they have 

 yet received under a systematic point of view. There are a 



DECEMBKB 1st. 1878. 



