140 MONOECIA-HEXANDRIA. Eriocaulon. 



Aquatic herbs, chiefly extraeuropaean, first properly under- 

 stood by Mr. Brown, to whose Prodromus, and Dr. 

 Hooker's dissections, we are indebted for the above im- 

 proved characters of this genus. I have removed it to 

 Monoecia Hexandria^ the number 6 appearing to be the 

 most complete in its corolla and stamens^ though these 

 parts, in some species, lay aside one third, according to 

 the analogy of other monocotyledonous plants, and the 

 flowers then become tetrandrous, as in our only species. 

 No genus can be more natural, but the very numerous 

 species are so much alike, and require such minute exa- 

 mination, that a competent character of any of them is 

 very difficult. 



1. E septangulare. Jointed Pipewort. 



Florets four-cleft. Capsule of two cells. Stem with about 

 seven angles, many times taller than the channelled, ta- 

 per-pointed leaves. Flower convex. Outer calyx-scales 

 empty, rounded, smooth. 



E. septangulare. With, 184. P7. Br. 1010. Engl.Bot.v. 11, t. 7 33. 



Hook. Scot. 270. Lond. t. 52 ; excellent. 

 E. decangulare. Lighff. 5' 9. Hope in Phil. Trans, v. 59. 243. 1. 1 2, 



Penn. Fay. to the Hebrides, v.\ .t. 39. 

 Nasmythia articulata. Huds. 415. 



In lakes, in the isle of Skye, and on the west coast of Ireland. 



First observed in the isle of Skye by Mr. Robertson, in 1768, ac- 

 cording to Dr. Hope ; but by the Rev. Dr. Walker's herbarium, 

 in Mr. Maughan's possession, it appears to have been discovered . 

 there, Sept. 11, 1764, by Sir John Macpherson, along with Dr. 

 Walker, in a small lake by the road from Sconsar to Giesto. See 

 Hook. Scot. In all the lakes and ditches about Cunnamara, 

 Ireland. Mr. J. T. Mackay. 



Perennial. September. 



Roots creeping, with numerous, long, white, finely jointed radicles, 

 matted together in dense tufts, so as to form floating islands. 

 Leaves radical, numerous, channelled, smooth, 2 or 3 inches 

 long, tapering gradually from a broadish base_, to a capillary 

 point, all finely cellular internally. Stalk 3 or 4 times as tall, 

 with a tubular sheath at the base, solitary, simple, naked, a little 

 twisted, having about 7 angles, occasionally more or less, with 

 flat interstices. H. solitary, terminal, almost globular, like a 

 white double daisy, though not half so large, finely downy, 

 tinged with purple. Anthers prominent, dark violet. 



