OCTANDRIA— TETRAGYNIA. Elatine. 243 



Nat. Ord. Caryo-phyllece. Linn. 22. Juss. 82. 



Col. inferior, of 4, or 3, roundish, slighdy concave, rather 

 unequal, spreading, permanent leaves. Pet. as many as 

 the calyx-leaves, and alternate with them, ovate, obtuse, 

 sessile, spreading. Filam. twice as many as the petals, 

 and about as long, awl-shaped. Antli. roundish. Germ. 

 superior, large, globular, rather depressed. Styles 4, or 

 3, erect, very short. Stigmas simple. Caps, globose, de- 

 pressed, large, of 4, or 3, valves, and as many cells ; the 

 partitions alternate with the valves, attached only to the 

 central cohimn. Seeds numerous, erect, oblong, furrowed, 

 curved, attached to the colimm. 



Smooth aquatic herbs, with branched stems ,- opposite or 

 whorled, simple, entire leaves ; and stalked, axillary, so- 

 litary, white or reddish,^owe;-5. 



1. Yi. tripetala. Small Waterwort. 



Leaves opposite, rough with minute points. Flowers mostly 

 three-cleft. 



E. Hydropiper. Engl. Bot. v. 14. t. 955. Comp. 63. Willd. Sp. 

 Fl.v.2.473. /3. 



E. triandra. i/o/m. Gem. 1800. 186 ? 



Alsinastrum serpillifolium, flora roseo tripetalo. Vaill. Par. 5. 

 t.2.f.\. 



On the margins of ponds or ditches, in a sandy soil. 



Ahout the eastern shore of Bomere pool, near Condover, Shropshire. 

 Rev. E. miliams. Near Virginia Water. Mr. T. F. Forsier. 



Annual. Jubj, August. 



Roots of many long white fibres, from the base, and lowermost 

 joints, of the stems, which are decumbent, alternately branched, 

 leafy, angular, smooth, pale and pellucid, 2 or 3 inches, at most, 

 in length. Leaves opposite, on short stalks, elliptical, or ob- 

 ovate, more or less obtuse, entire, single-ribbed, or obscurely 3- 

 ribbed, scarcely ^ of an inch long ; rough, more or less, on the 

 upper side, with minute, prominent, cartilaginous points. Sti- 

 pulas none. Flower-stalks axillary, solitary, alternate, simple, 

 naked, single-flowered, erect, about the length of the leaves. 

 Flowers small, generally 3-cleft, with 6 stamens and 3 styles, here 

 and there 4-cleft, with 8 stamens and 4 styles. Calyx-leaves 

 fleshy, green, somewhatunequal. PeL roundish, slightly pointed, 

 concave, inflexed, reddish, or pale flesh-coloured, smaller than 

 the calyx. Sta7n. awl-shaped, incurved, not longer than the pe- 

 tals. Anth. yellow. Caps, of as manv cells and valves as there are 

 styles. Seeds oblong, obtuse, furrowed, and transversely stri- 

 ated, as represented by Gsertner in E. Alsinastrum ; a plant long 

 believed, on the authority of Dillenius, to be a native of England; 



R 2 



