2 



MONANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. Chara. 



Brittle Stonevuort. Ditches and pools. Peat ditches in Lan- 

 rire and Westmoreland, common* [In the livulet that runs 

 n Malham Tarn before it sinks into the ground. Mr. Wood.] 



me — Oct. 



j 







vulgaris. CH. Stems without prickles: leaves toothed on the inner 



side* 



m 



£. hot. 33G-Hed<w. th. 32. 33. -C. B. pr. 25 ; and th. 251- " 



Park. 1201. 10-J. B. iii. 731. 2. 



Stem thread-shaped, but little branched, 6 to 9 inches long, 

 flexible. Leaves thread-shaped, tapering, but just thinner than 

 the stem ; in whirls, expanding, mostly as long as the joints of 

 the stem, jointed ; the knots with prickles and often fructifica- 

 tions on the inside. Flowers either hermaphrodite or male, or 

 female, on the same, or on different plants ; sitting ; both tawny 

 and white in the same plant, on the inner side of the leaves 

 towards their base, 2 or 3 on a leaf, numerous on the upper 

 •whirls, distinct. CaL leaves bristle-shaped, the 2 outer nearly 

 twice as long. Anther projecting as it were from out of the calyx ; 

 evidently adhering to the base of the germen, and separable with 

 it ; unchanged in its form and none burst, in numbers which I 

 examined, % from whence some might be induced to suspect it to 

 be rather a nectary. Seed-vessel tapering and greenish towards 

 the end, which is crowned with 5 teeth, mostly shorter, but 

 sometimes longer than the calyx. Seeds very numerous, and 

 very minute, yellowish or white. In one male plant I found the 

 calyx the same as in the hermaphrodite flowers. St. — Plant 

 green when fresh, and extremely foetid ; glaucous when dry, and 

 very brittle. Leaves sometimes 10 or 12 in a whirl. Wood- 

 ward. — Leaves from 6 to 12 in a whirl. The teeth or prickles 

 on the upper or inner side of the leaves are near the base, and 

 more numerous on the upper than on the lower leaves. The stem 

 and leaves are studded, not uniformly incrusted, with a hard 

 whitish, gritty substance, which gives them, when fresh and 

 magnified, some resemblance to the scaliness of a snake. The 

 stems are much disposed to twist spirally, and are very brittle 

 when dry. 



Common Stonewort. Stinking Water Horse-tall. Ditches 



and pools. [Marl pit near Stafford. St.] A. July, Aug. 



Var. 1. Smaller. Huds. 

 Stems and leaves very slender. Seeds (anthers and germens) 

 small, brown, shining, lying naked on the joints of the leaves. 

 R. Syn. — From this description I suspect it to be rather C\ 

 flex ilt s. St. 



Sir P. Carteret's fish-ponds in Jersey. In a gutter in Peck- 

 ham fields j not in the great ditches. R. Sjn. 





. 













