184 CXXXIX. ALISMACEA. 
dehiscent. Seeds erect or when several ascending or spreading, with a 
thin testa and inner membrane; no albumen. Embryo either straight 
; or more frequently horse-shoe shaped ; 
r water plauts. Leaves radical on long 
petioles, Flowering stems leafless, or rarely, in species er Australian, 
eafy. Flowers in terminal umbels racemes panicles or simple or once 
forked spikes 
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e Order is represented in the oria go and shallow waters of most ee : 
ofthe globe. Of the four Aus tralian genera, two are WOW Rae n, the two others 
extend over tropical Asia and Africa, iM of M also in South Africa. 
eke perfect. aloe cendum paniculate, umbel- 
or almost racem 
Carpal pei indslilasents scarcely beak ; 
Carpels 2 -seeded, tapering into di hy ag we falling off 
b i 
ya , 
Carpels disse dehiscent : doin the inner suture * 
Piiira reduced to 2 petal-like or very small inem 8. 
Flowers sessile in a fatis or once forked spike 4, APONOGETON. 
There is also in H . Mueller a noge flower with one leaf of a plant gathe ered 
Hartmann in South. Queensland, w h appears to be a species of Hydrocleis or 
Limnocharis, with the inner pe i 
H.) Humboliti i 
bracts than usual in that plant and the outer -perianth segments are longer an E 
I: but the specimen is Peata ent to show reme it is really distinct, and i 
y be only accidentally introduced from South A 
1. ALISMA. 
2. DAMASONIUM, 
3, BuTOMOPSIS. 
is ALISMA, Linn. 
Flowers usuall 
y aka e Perianth of 6 segments, 3 outer 
nes membranous or almost herbaceous, 3 inner iar ge and petal- like. 
in each carpel. Fruit-c ach indehoi 
na ring round the Distinct 
s embryo.—Aquatie herbs, ed or xd species "^ 
Australian floating, i i 
either ina terminal umbel with or without whorls of pedicel ellate flowers 
etta orina panicle with whorled M eaeh bearing a similar 
um 
The Der is widely spread over the temperate and warm ons of the globe. 
Ofthe Australian species one is cosmopolitan, two others ce to tropico 
Asia, the f fourth is endemic. They have all four tall leafless loosely panic hol 
flowering stems, me = Jong petioles of the NE — often appear, jointed 
transverse pel iria ne pith, 
068 posite 
Carpels 15 to 30, in a flat ring. ee licen. of 
the leaf very oblique 
3 exis - - 1. A. plantago. 
Unrpela 6 or fower, rardly 7.078. : 
co. a narrow e outer 
primary veins on — sh esu, in oe auricles, 
transverse ees ot very close and more or less 
connected b ML me ap s 
