Podo '^femonacecu. 415 



(uppermost one apparently terminal) divaricate, glabrous or 

 slightly glandular, bracts broad, truncate, ciliate ; fruit rather 

 large, bluntly trigonous, dull black. 



Upper montane zone, rather common. In streams at Nuwara Eliya, 

 abundant; Horton Plains. Fl. Feb.; pink. 



Also on Himalaya Mountains and in Tasmania. 



10. P. pedunculare, Wall. Cat. n. 17 18 (1828). 

 FI. B. Ind. V. 48. Wight, Ic. t. 1802, f. C. 



" Stem 1-2 ft. ascending, glabrous, quite smooth except a 

 few recurved prickles at the nodes and sometimes on the 

 angles ; 1. 1-2 in., petioled, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate, acu- 

 minate at both ends ; racemes panicled, oblong or globose, 

 peduncles and bracts glabrous or glandular-pubescent, bracts 

 acuminate, ciliate; nut orbicular, biconvex." 



Ceylon, Walker. (Fl. B. Ind. 1. c.) 



India, Trop. Asia generally, China, Australia. Common on the 

 Nilgiri Mountains. 



I do not know this as distinct from P. strigosum., and the above 

 description is taken from Fl. B. Ind. 



Rii7nex obtusifoliiis, L., the Broad-leaved Dock, and R. crispus, L., 

 the Curled Dock, are found by roadsides about Nuwara Eliya ; introduced 

 from England. 



R. acetosclla, L., the Sheeps' Sorrel, is also commonly found in similar 

 places there, no doubt introduced with grass seed from Europe. 



CVL— PODOSTEMONACEiE. 



Perennial submerged aquatic herbs, stems fleshy, more or 

 less flattened dilated and thallus-like, closely attached to rocks 

 or elongated, 1. small, usually in fascicles, deciduous, fl. small, 

 bisexual, solitary, with a few bracts and a short spathe at 

 base; perianth of 3 segm. or o; stam. 1-3, usually 2 with fil. 

 connate for more than half way, hypogynous, staminodes 2 

 or o; ov. superior 2-or 3-celled, with numerous ovules, styles 

 2 or 3 ; capsule dry, dehiscing septicidally into 2 or 3 valves ; 

 endosperm o. 



A small order of Tropical aquatics of a very reduced type of growth, 

 and of undecided affinities. Suggested relationships are found with 

 Saxifrao^acea^ CaryophyllacecE., Scrophiilariacece, Lentibulariaccce, Ela- 

 tinecE^ NepenthacecE. Of our 6 species, 4 appear to be endemic. All 

 (but P. nietz^erioides) have been exhaustively figured, from Ceylon 

 material, in Warming's series of memoirs quoted below. 



These little plants simulate mosses or hepatics in their general 



