Order 4. 

 Four Stamina. 



30 



VALLISNERIA: this is an aquatic plant, and 

 grows in great quantities in Italy, in the canal and 

 ditches in the neighbourhood of Pisa, and also in the 

 Rhone. Its natural habits are highly curious and in- 

 teresting. The flowers that bear Stamina, are pro- 

 duced at the bottom of the water till they come to 

 maturity, but without expanding ; they then separate 

 from the footstalks on which they are borne, and 

 rising to the top, open suddenly with an elastic force, 

 and in this state swim at large on the surface. The 

 other plant producing the Pistilla, bears its flowers 

 on a spiral stem, which, at the same season, has 

 the power of unfolding according to the depth of the 

 water, so as to arrive at the surface at the same time, 

 and thus receive the Pollen from the Antherae of the 

 floating Stamina. The flowering season being past, 

 the spiral stem then contracts and completes its fruc- 

 tification at the bottom : the other flowers with Sta- 

 mina, are dispersed and perish. 



The flowers producing Stamina are white, those 

 producing the Pistilla are purple. 



MISSELTOE. This plant, instead of rooting and 

 growing in the earth, fixes itself into the branches of 

 trees,§ where it spreads and forms a bush, conspicuous 



llorti Medici Amstelodamensis Rariorum Plantarium Hisloria, 

 The leaves, however, of this Mimosa are admirably represented 

 in Hooke's Micographia, published in the year 1605. 

 g Plants that grow upon others are called Parasitical. 



