9tf BBASZiHZA. No. 17* 



No. 17. 



BRASENIA HYDROFELTIS 



English Name— WATER-SHIELD, 



French Name — Hydropelte. 



German Name — Wasserschild. 



Officinal Name — Gelatlna aquatica, Brasenia. 



Vulgar Names — Frogleaf, Little Water Lily, 

 Water Jelly, Deerfood. 



Synonyms — Hydropeltrs purpurea j Michaux, &c. 



Authorities — Schreber, Wildenow^ Persoorij Mi* 

 t.haux, Pursh, Elliot^ Nuttal, &c. 



Genus Brasenia — Perigone simple, colored, co- 

 roliforni, with six equal sepals or petals, stamina 

 many, shorter, hypogynous, anthers adnate : many 

 pistils, germs sessile with a style. Fruit, many 

 ,^maU one-seeded acheiies. 



Species B. Hydropeltis — ^Roots creeping, leares 

 floating, alternate, peltate, elliptic, entire, gelatinous 

 beneath : flowers axillary, solitary, peduncled. 



DESCRIPTION— The roots arc perennial, creep- 

 ing Ainder water and mud, cylindric, jointed with 

 bundles of fibres at the joints — Stems many, growing 

 till the leaves reach the surface of the water, almost 

 similar to the roots — Leaves alternate, on very long 

 slender petioles, floating on the water, of a regular el- 

 "liptic form, like an oblong shield, entire and obtuse, 

 ?-noothand lucid above, with res;ular radiatins veins. 



