TETRANDRIA. TETRAGYNIA. Potamogeton. 



POTAMOGETON. Cal. none : petals 4 ; style 



20$ 



none : seeds 4. 



P. Leaves oblong- egg- shaped, on leaf-stalks ; floating/ na'tans. 



Var. 1. floating. Sheaths of the fruit ; stalks and leaf- talks 

 more than half the length of the respective stalks. 



Fl.dan. 1025-Fuchs. 65l~Trag. 6&&-MUI. ill.-Ger. em. 

 821. l~Pet. 5. 4-jrY. ox. v. 29, row 1. I. at p. 596-*Ger. 



675. 1-Park. 1254. \-Matth. 1137- 



Leaves opaque, those of the other species pellucid. St. Spikes 

 from the base of the leaves, on fruit-stalks as large as the stem. 

 Flowers sitting, numerous. Woodward, yellowish. Leaf-stalks 

 or the most part longer than the leaves. 



Broad-leaved Pondweed. Ponds and slow rivers, common, 



P. July, Aug * 



Var. 2. hog. Sheaths of the fruit-stalks and leaf-stalks less 

 than half the length of their respective stalks. 



When it grows in a place which is dried up in the summer, 

 it surprisingly changes its appearance, growing upright, and re- 

 sembling a small Plantago. Linn. Leaves alternate, except the 

 upper pair, which are opposite ; lower ones spear-shaped, on long 

 leaf-stalks ; upper ones oval, with shorter leaf-stalks. Stem about 

 4 inches high. Smaller, and flowers a month or six weeks earlier 

 than variety 1 . 



[ B°ggy ground on Birmingham Heath. In places where stag- 

 nant water has been dried up or drained off.] P. May — Aug. 





P. Leaves h^art-shaped, embracing the stem. 



E. hot. iGS-Fl. dan. 196-Dod. 5S2. 3-Ger. em. 822. 3-J.5. 

 iii. 7TS. 2-Pet. 5. 6-H. ox. v. 29. row 2. 3. at p. 596. 



perfolia'tum 



leaves or thorns, and the colour of the berries. Sheep are fed in the • 

 winter with the croppings : Pennant's Tour, 1772. p. 32 ; as are also Deer. 

 Birds eat the berries. The bark fermented and afterwards washed from 

 the woody fibres, makes the common Birdlime. It makes an impene- 

 trable fence, and bears cropping ; nor is its verdure, or the beauty of its 

 ^arlet berries, ever observed to suffer from the severest of our winters. 

 The wood is used in fineering, and is sometimes stained black to imitate 

 Ebony. Handles for knives, and cogs for mill-wheels are made of it. 



. It has been observed, I think by Linnaeus, that the lower branches 

 Within reach of cattle bear thorny leaves, whilst the upper ones, which 

 stand in need of no such defence, are without thorns. 



* The leaves floating upon the surface of the water afford an agreeable 

 shade to fish, and are the habitation and food of the Phalarta Potamogeton. 

 The roots are a favourite food of swans. Their love of this plant, so 

 troublesome in still pieces of water, is such, that by harassing it in 

 search of its succulent root during winter, a pair of them have almost de- 

 stroyed it in the whole extent of nearly five acres of water, which at 



times ha* bcea completely matted over with it. Mr Stackuovs*. 



Voi. II, P 







