ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY. 53 
The only species of the genus is, I believe, abundant on the dry banks in the bed of the 
Palar river below Wallajabad. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 24, 
A. Tamarix gallica var Indica. Natural size. the ovules to the base of the carpels. 6. A mature fruit 
2. Flower opened, showing the imbricated sepals, after dehiscence. 7. A seed with its downy tuft. Al 
the petals, stamens, superior ovary, styles, and dilated more or less magnifie 
i B 
stigmas, 3. A stamen showing the sagittate form of . |. Flower of Trichaurus ericoides. 2. Sepals 
the anthers. 4. A single flower as it appears on being opened, and the petals removed, to show the insertion 
emoved from the branch, the exterior pointed sepal- of the stamens and ovary. stamen, anther pointed. 
like leaf in front, the Bractea. 5. Ovary cut transversee 4. A seed with its beak. All magnified. 
XX.—ELATINEA. 
A small and unimportant order of herbaceous, marsh, plants, found in all the four quarters of 
the globe. ‘The stems are ramous, the leaves opposite, stipulate, the flowers small, usually ag- 
gregated in the axis, hermaphrodite. 
alyx of from 3 to 5 sepals. Petals as many alternate with them. Stamens either equalling 
the petals or twice as many. Ovarium 3, 4, or 5-celled with as many styles and stigmas, placente 
in the axis bearing numerous ovules. Stigmas capitate. Fruit, a capsule, three 5-celled, three 
5- valved, dehiscence either septicidal or loculicidal. Seeds numerous. Albumen sparing or want- 
ing. Embryo cylindrical, radicle next the hilum. 
Arrrnitigs. These do not appear to me by any means clear, Formerly they were referred 
to Caryophyllez, thence Cambessides removed them as a distinct order, on account of their ex- 
albuminous seed, and capitate stigmas, to which loculicidal dehiscence is added. Both however 
being alike in that respect, that last character, which by the way is not constant, since I find in 
at least two species of Bergia the dehiscence septicidal and not loculicidal, can be of little or no 
value ; unless perhaps as one by which we may keep Fergia distinct asa genus, from Elatine, 
‘The exalbuminons seed and capitate stigmas, while they afford very sufficient grounds for sepa- 
rating them from Caryophyllaceae which have a copious mealy albumen with the embryo rolled 
round it, and linear stigmas, associate the Elatineae with Lythrariae, in which order, Bartling 
(Ordines Plantarum) has placed them. From these however, it appears to me, their distinctly 
ypogynous stamens, numerous stigmas, and free ovaries sufficiently remove them. Dr. Lind- 
ley places them in an alliance distinguished by having “ albumen present in the seeds” along with 
Linez, an arrangement, the propriety of which I confess myself unable to perceive, as the 
albumen in Elatinee is almost if not entirely wanting. 
Essentrat Caaracter. Polypetalous : stamens fewer than 20: ovary wholly superior ; 
placentas in the axis ; styles distinct to the base: calyx imbricated ecalyculate : leaves oppo- 
site, furnished with stipules. : 
_ Geocrapmecat Distrisution. The plants of this small order are found in moist, marshy 
grounds in all the four quarters of the globe— Elatine and Bergia are found in India. B. ver- 
ticillata is common about the banks of water courses and ri¢e fields, while B. ammannoides is 
more commonly seen in moist sandy soil near the banks of rivers, and in rice fields near the sea 
past. Hlatine ambigua I have only found in the moist soil of half dried tanks in the Tanjore 
district, where it forms large green patches, 
Propertizs anv Uses. The properties of this order are unknown, if the species possess any. 
In England Elatine has received the rather questionable name of “ water pepper” which seems 
to indicate the possession of acrid properties, though that seems doubtful as itis no where men- 
