190 Mr. W. H. Coleman on a new species of (Enanthe. 



lei nerves, lobed and unequally cut at the apex with sharp laci- 

 niations. 



"\Vhen circumstances are favourable to the flowering of the 

 plant, the stem is elongated in the direction of the current, and 

 ascends in a curve through the water for 4 or 5 feet or more ac- 

 cording to the depth, gradually thickening and becoming more 

 fistulose upwards, till at the surface of the water it attains a dia- 

 meter of nearly an inch, with a central hollow of more than half 

 its thickness. It is here rather angular, its substance cellular 

 and fragile. This buoyant dilated stem forms a boat at anchor 

 to support the flowering part erect above the surface of the 

 water. 



The aerial portion of the plant rises about 18 inches above the 

 water : it is of a dark green colour, very difiierent from the deli- 

 cate pale hue of its congener, to which it bears a general resem- 

 blance, but is in all respects coarser and less elegant. Petioles 

 about one-third of the whole length of the leaf, half composed of 

 sheath, then solid, very cellular, nearly cylindi'ical, but above 

 among the leaflets the rachis is compressed and channeled. Leaves 

 twice pinnate, the leaflets pinnatifid, trifid or simple; the seg- 

 ments lanceolate (much broader than in CE. Phellandrium) , cleft, 

 the lacinise rather blunt and callous at the tip. The whole leaf 

 is pendent, the petiole and rachis curving downwards, but not 

 bent back at each joint as in (E. Phellandi'ium : the primary di- 

 visions leave the rachis at right angles, the secondary point a little 

 forwards. Umbels lateral opposite the leaves, on angular stalks 

 of various lengths ; there are about 10 rays to the umbel, with 

 seldom more than one general bractea, often none. Partial in- 

 volucre of numerous linear-lanceolate leaves, shorter than the 

 pedicels. Pedicels about the length of the fruit. Plowers white, 

 like those of (E. Phellandrium, but more generally perfect. Fruit 

 one-third larger, its ribs narrower and channels broader than in 

 (E. Phellandrium, broadly elliptical, concave at the sides when 

 young, three times as long as the stylopodium and somewhat 

 spreading styles. 



(Enanthe fluviatilis begins to flower about the end of June, 

 and, if allowed, would ripen its seeds by the beginning of Sep- 

 tember. It is however almost invariably submerged or broken 

 ofi^ before the middle of August by the masses of loose weed which 

 float down the stream. In former years 1 have been unable to 

 obtain fruit, but in September last I succeeded after long search 

 in procuring a few tolerably perfect ones in the little river Ash, 

 near its confluence with the Lea below Ware, where it had escaped 

 drowning by the failure of the current in the dry season. From 

 one of these the figure is taken ; and its differences from the fruit 



