436 ALISMACE^. [part ii. 



where it expands. The male flowers are pro- 

 duced on separate plants at the bottom, but, 

 before they expand, they detach themselves 

 from the soil, and rise up to the surface, where 

 they float till the flowers have opened, and the 

 pollen has fallen on the stigmas of the female 

 flowers, after which the male flowers wither, 

 and the female ones coil up their stalks again 

 to ripen the seed-vessels at the bottom. This 

 curious arrangement is necessary, because the 

 pollen should be dry when it falls on the stig- 

 mas ; and nearly a similar arrangement takes 

 place with the Fresh- water Soldier (Stratiotes), 

 The Frog's Bit {Hydrocharis morsiis ranee) is a 

 floating plant, with pretty white flowers. Da- 

 mosonium indicum is a very handsome water- 

 plant, with white flowers and winged stems. 



ORDER CLXXX.— ALISMACE^ THE WATER 



PLANTAIN TRIBE. 



The principal genera in this order are Alisma, 

 Sagittaria, and Actinocarpus, all common 

 British aquatic plants. The Water Plantain 

 {Alisma plantago) has ribbed leaves, and a 

 loose panicle of small pinkish flowers, which 

 have a permanent calyx of three sepals, a corolla 

 of three petals, six stamens, and numerous car- 

 pels, which grow close together so as to form a 



