344 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY, 
PRINCIPALLY OF THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE 
PENINSULA. 
By RicHagp Wicur, M. D., &c. &c. 
[Continued from Page 110 of the present Volume.) 
A 
VALLISNERIA ALTERNIFOLIA. 
Dia@cra Dianpria. Nat. Ord. HypmocHARIDEX. Juss. 
Gen. Cuar. Flores dioici— Msc. Spadix conicus, undique 
tectus flosculis; spatha inclusus. Perianthium 3-partitum. 
Stam. 2.—Fam. Spatha monophylla, uniflora. Pi eri. 
thium 3-6-partitum. Stigma 3, bifida, extus quandoque 
appendiculata. Bacca unilocularis, cylindracea, poly- 
sperma. Semina parietalia. Br. sy 
Vallisneria alternifolia ; caulescens, foliis lanceolato-lineari- 
bus alternis denticulato-serratis, floribus sessilibus 
(SurrL. Tas. XL) 
Vallisneria alternifolia, Roxb. MSS. in Mus. of E. Ind. C 
n. 996. Hamilton in Brewst. Journ. v. 1. p. 34. 
Roots fibrous. Stems branched, filiform, submersed, 
glabrous. Leaves alternate, most of them approximate, 3-4 
inches long, grass-like, without any distinct nerve, but 
striated longitudinally, and beautifully reticulated, often 
twisted, acute, the margins serrated, the base amplexicaul. 
Flowers sessile, axillary, usually in pairs, dicecious. 
spatha resembling a capsule, broadly ovate, acute; pte 
pressed, diaphanous, opening into two concave, membranov® 
minutely striated and reticulated valves. Spadix about 
half the length of the spatha, covered with numerous small 
pedicellated flowers, which, at first sight, resemble: seeds. 
At the time the anthers of these flowers are mature, the 
pedicels, which bear flowers, spontaneously separate ee 
