:;o. 17, 



91 



white and veinless beneath, but covered with a coat of 

 pale ielly, sometimes purplish : the leaves are two or 



three inches long. 



Flowers on long axillary and solitary peduncles, 

 similar to the petiofes: these flowers are of a dark pur- 

 ple color, the six petals are oblong and acute : Stami- 

 na from twenty to thirty, shorter than the petals, sur- 

 rounding the pistils which are from twelve to twenty, 

 germs oblong, styles short, stigma obtuse. Achenes 

 or small nuts naked, maturing under water, oval ob- 

 long. 



HISTORY — This plant was unknown to Linnaius; 



it was first described by Schreber, and called Bras- 

 enia, from a German botanist, Brasen : Michau 

 changed improperly that name into Hydropeltis^ 

 meaning water-shield in Greek ; both names may be 

 retained, but Brasenia has a prior claim to be the 

 generic. Only one species is known. 



It belongs to the natural order of Ranuxculides, 

 and to V01.Y x^-DViix poly gijnia of Linnaeus. It blos- 

 soms in July and August. The flowers are pretty, but 

 have no smell: the leaves are very singular, and af- 

 ford one of the few instances of pure homogenous ve- 

 getable jelly, being spontaneously produced, and co- 

 vering the whole under surface of the leaves, the 

 stems^and petioles are also more or less covered with 

 it. I>eer and cattle are very fond of eating these 

 leaves : they resort to the places where they grow 

 plentifully, and even swim in the water in search ot 



m 



'^ LocALiTT—From Carolina to Kentucky, and Flo- 



