74 MONOECIA— TRIANDKIA. Sparganiuin. 



perior balls. Ccd. of 3, or more, oblong, obtuse, equal, 

 deciduous leaves. Cor. none. Filam. 3, capillary, erect, 

 longer than the calyx. Anth. roundish, of 2 cells. 



Fcrt.jl. numerous, in similar balls, beneath the former. 

 Cal. as in the barren fl. Cor. none. Germ, superior, 

 ovate. Style., short, terminal . Stigma awl-shaped, or ovate, 

 oblique, downy at one side, mostly solitary, rarely 2, 

 permanent. Drupa obovate, beaked, dry, of 1, rarely 2, 

 cells. Nut solitary, ovate. Embryo cylindrical, straight, 

 in the centre of a mealy albumen. Common recept. glo- 

 bose, naked. 



Creeping-rooted, aquatic, juicy, smooth, upright or float- 

 ing herbs. Stem round, solid, leafy; in some species 

 branched at the top. Leaves alternate, simple, linear, 

 flat, entire, pliant. Balls ofjlowers alternate, on a com- 

 mon stalk. Anth. whitish. Ger7n. green. 



1. S. ramosuin. Branched Bur-reed. 



Leaves triangular at the base, with concave sides. Com- 

 mon flower-stalk branched. Stigma linear. 



S, ramosum. Uuds. 401 . ¥1. Br. 961. Engl. Bot. v.W.t. 744. 

 JVilld. Sp. PI. V. 4. 199. Curt. Lond.fasc. 5. t. 06. Hook. Scot. 

 2G0. Rdii Syn. 437. Bauh. Pin. 15. Theatr.228.f. Ger. Em. 

 45 f. Moris, v. 3. 247. sect. 8. t. 13./. 1. EhrJi. Calavi. 138. 



S erectum. Linn. Sp. PI. 1378. Leers 207. t. 13./. 11. 



S. n. 1303. a. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 1G2. 



Sparganium. Matth. Valgr. v. 2. 339./. Camer. Epit.7 32./. Lob. 

 Ic. 80./. 



S. quibusdam. Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 541./. 



Phleos fcemina. Dalech. Hist. 1017./ 



In ditches, and the margins of ponds and rivers, common. 



Perennial, July, August. 



Stern upright, about 3 feet high, very vascular, terminating in seve- 

 ral alternate flower-branches, the lower ones accompanied by 

 short clasping leaves. Radical leaves triangular at the base, the 

 spaces between their angles somewhat concave, not flatj sword- 

 shaped, erect, and elongated in their upper ])art, ending rather 

 obtusely. Balls of 7ZoM;ers alternate, sessile ; the barren ones 

 white, above the rest, and most numerous. Calyx-leaves spatu- 

 late, brown. Style short. Stigma long, oblique, downy at one 

 side, mostly solitary. Drupa with rarely more than one seed. 



The he'rbage serves for package, along with similar coarse grassy 

 plants, and is softer and more pliant than most of them, not 

 cutting the hands by any sharp edges, like Carices or Fern. 



