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2. BUTOMUS UMBELLATUS, 



FLOWERING RUSH. 



Tins genus contains a plant of the flowery perennial aquatic 

 kind. The Flowering Rush, or Water Gladiolc. 



It belongs to the class and order Enncandria Ilexagyiiia, and 

 ranks in the natural order of Tripetaloide^e. ' 



The characters are: that the calyx is a simple, three-leaved, short 

 involucre: the corolla consists of six petals, roundish, concave, wi- 

 thering; three outer alternate, smaller, more acute: the stamina con- 

 sist of nine subulate filaments: the anthers are bilamellate: the pistil- 

 lum has six germs, oblong, acuminate, ending in styles: the sligmas 

 are simple: the pericarpium consists of six capsules, oblong, gra- 

 dually attenuated, erect, one-valved, gaping on the inside: the seeds 

 are very many, oblong-cylindric, obtuse at both ends, fixed to the 

 wall of the capsules. 



There is only one species: B. umheUatus, Unibcllatcd Butonius, 

 or Flowering Rush. 



It has a thick, oblong, fibry, perennial root: the leaves are ensi- 

 form, long, triangular, smooth, cpiite entire, spongy, at bottom 

 sheathing, at top flat and twisted: the scape upright, round, smooth, 

 from one to three or five and six feet high: the flowers to thirty, each 

 on a single round peduncle, from an inch to about a finger's length* 

 forming an upright umbel, surrounded at bottom by an involucre of 

 three withering membranous sheaths; besides a smaller stipule to each 

 peduncle: corolla handsome, near an inch in breadth; commonly of 

 a bright or pale flesh-colour, purple or rose-colour. It is a native 

 of most parts of Europe, and Flowers in June and iu\y. 



There are varieties with white flowers; with red flowers; with 



deep purple flowers. 



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