Sagittaria. MONOECIA POLY ANDRIA, 645 
from six to twenty-four, Female (Hermaphrodite, R. ) ca- 
lyx and corol as in the male, Germ and seeds numerous, 
£'mbryo conduplicate, without perisperm. 
1. S. sagittifolia, Willd. iv. 408. 
Leaves sagittate, acute; /obes narrow, straight and acute, 
Scape simple. Flowers tern, 
A native of the borders of sweet water lakes, ditches, &c. 
in the vicinity of Calcutta, where it flowers in February, 
March, and April, 
Root consisting of numerous, spongy fibres, from a crown, 
formed by the united leaves, the centre one thicker,and end- 
ing in the half putrid remains of the small round tuber, or 
bulb, which gave existence to the plant, while from its sides 
many suckers run a few inches, each ending in a small, round 
bulb, which in due time produce other plants. Zeaves ra- 
dical, the first of the young plants linear, uncommonly slen- 
der, and very acute, the next one or two simply cordate-ob- 
long, the rest with angular, spongy petioles ot different 
lengths, and sagittate, acute, smooth, with the barbs or pos- 
terior lobes, from two to three-nerved, and rather longer than 
the single, five-uerved, narrower and much more acute, in 
fact, ensiform upper portion, about six inches long; petioles 
from six inches to two feet long. Scapes simple, as long as" 
the leaves, columnar, spongy. Flowers pure white, pedi- 
celled, uniformly tern, the inferior three, and sometimes the 
second, or a part thereof female, the rest male, Bractes tern, 
triangular, one-flowered, shorter than the pedicels, Calyx and 
corol as in S. sagittifolia of Europe, only the latter is pure 
white. throughout. #tlaments in the male flowers, about 
‘twenty-five, shorter than the ovate-oblong, yellow anthers, 
In the female none, but some few, abortive germs are found 
in the disk of the former. Germ in the female flowers very 
humerous, &e. as in S, sagittifolia, Gert, Sem. ii, 21, t. 84, 
_but. the embryo in our Indian plant is of a palate yel- 
Jow colour. 
