1 24 HydrochariaecB. [B/yxa. 



very minute, dicecious, male many, pedicelled on a short spadix 

 contained in an ovoid bifid or 2-valved sessile axillary spathe; 

 sep. 3, petaloid ; pet. 3; stam. 2-3, anth. dehiscing transversely; 

 pistillode, o ; fern. fl. solitary in a narrow spathe ; perianth 

 minute on the filiform top of the ov. ; sep. 3, orbicular or 

 cuneate-obovate ; pet. 3, as long; staminodes o; ov. oblong, 

 narrowed into a filiform beak, styles 3, stout, notched or bifid, 

 ovules many, orthotropous ; fr. narrowly lanceolate, terete, 

 membranous, many-seeded ; seeds oblong, testa with a 

 mucous coat. — Sp. about 5 ; i in Fl. B. Ind. 



Zi Roxburg-hii, Benth. in Geji. PL ill. 451 (1883). 



NechaDiandra alternifolia, Thw Enum. 332. N. Roxburghii, Planch. 



C. P. 3176. 



Fl. B. Ind. V. 659. Hook. Bot. Misc. ii. t. suppl. 11 {Vallisneria 

 alterni folia, Roxb.). 



Stem 2-3 ft., filiform, roots fibrous, flaccid, upper branches 

 floating ; 1. 3-4 in. by \ broad, alt. and opp., sessile, oblong- 

 lanceolate, acute, serrate, veins one on each side of the slender 

 midrib ; male spathes in pairs, ovoid, acute, at length 2-valved ; 

 fl. very minute, bud globose; sep. broadh' oblong, pink ; pet. 

 as long, white; stam. 2, fil. clavellate; fem. spathe \ in., bifid; 

 ov. lanceolate, narrowed into a filiform flexuous beak 2-3 in. 

 long. 



Tanks in the dry reg^ion ; very rare. Near Batticaloa (Gardner, 

 Nevill). Fl. March, September. 



Tropical Asia generally. 



As in Hydrilla^ the male fl. escape from their spathe, rise to the 

 surface of the water, and there float, expand, and scatter their pollen. 



\yallis)teria spiralis., L., is given for Ceylon in Fl. B. Ind. v. 660. 

 The specimen so named in Herb. Kew is C. P. 237, and Blyxa zeylanica^ 



3. BZ.VXA, Thoitars. 

 Submerged, scapigerous, fresh-water herbs; stem \ery 

 short; 1. long, narrow, quite entire ; fl. uni- or bi-sexual, male 

 several, pedicelled, enclosed in a 2-toothed peduncled spathe; 

 sep. 3, linear; pfet. 3, narrower and longer; stam. 3, anth. 

 linear; pistillodes 3, filiform; fem. fl. solitary, long-pedicelled, 

 enclosed in a long-peduncled spathe; sep. and pet. of male; 

 staminodes o; o v. very slender, long-beaked; styles 3, filiform; 

 fr. included in the spathe, long, narrow, terete, membranous, 

 i-celled, with 3 parietal many-ovuled placentas; seeds many, 

 minute, testa mucilaginous. — Sp. 7 ; all in Fl. B. Ind. 



