^fjl NaiadecB. [Aponogeton. 



I. APONOGSTON, Linn.f. 

 Scapigerous fresh-water herbs ; rootstock tuberous, crowned 

 by copious root -fibres ; 1. long-petioled, the floating herbaceous, 

 oblong, submerged membranous, midrib striate, veins parallel; 

 scape inclined, bearing one or a pair of floating or emerged 

 spikes each at first enclosed in a calyptriform membranous 

 sheath; fl. bisexual, perianth of 1-3 equal or unequal, pctaloid 

 segm. ; stam. 6 or more, hypogynous or perigynous, fil. 

 subulate, unequal, persistent ; anth. didymous, slits introrse ; 

 ov. of 3-6, free, i -celled carpels, style short or o, stigma disci- 

 form or decurrent, ovules 2 or more, basilar, anatropous; fr. of 

 3 or more coriaceous follicles ; seeds erect, testa thick or thin, 

 endosperm o, embryo straight. — Sp. 22 ; 4 in Fl. B. Ind. 



Perianth-sej^m. shorter than the stam. . . i. A. monostachyon. 



Perianth-segm. much longer than the stam. . 2. A. CRISPUM. 



1. A. monostachyon, Linn. f. Suppl. Plant. 214 (1781). 

 Koddi, T. 



Moon, Cat. 38. Thw. Enum. 333. C. P. 2307. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 564. Roxb. Cor. PI. t. 81. Lond. Journ. Hot. ill. (1844), 

 t. 17 (tnonostachys). 



Rootstock .1-1 in. diam., stoloniferous ; 1, 3-6 in., oblong 

 or linear-oblong, acute or obtuse, base cuneate, rounded or 

 cordate, veins 5-7 pairs, 3 central, cross venules numerous, 

 petiole subtrigonous; base narrowly sheathing; scape varying 

 with the depth of the water, spike solitary, 1-6 in. long, 

 cylindric, dense- or lax-fld. ; perianth-segm. 2, erect, ^V in., 

 spathulate, stam. 6, as long or longer than the segm., anth, 

 blue-purple; carpels 3, .shorter than the stam.; follicles sub- 

 globose, ,V in. diam., style subulate; seeds 4-8, oblong, testa 

 lax, 6-8-ribbed, striate, green. 



In tanks, &c., m the dry region; common. Fl. Dec; pale blue or 

 white, anth. blue. 



Throughout Trop. Asia and Australia. 



Tubers much eaten, and said to be as good as potatoes. 



2. A. orlspum, Thunb. Nov. Gen. i. 73 (1784). K^katlya, J^". 

 Moon, Cat. 3.S. Thw. Enum. 333. C. P. 2306, 2308, 3381. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 564. Lond. Journ. Bot. iii. (1844), t. 18 {ouvirandra 

 undtdata). 



Rootstock subspherical, stoloniferous; 1. 1-3 ft., from 

 oblong to linear-oblong, linear, or lanceolate, tip rounded or 

 acute, all submerged and membranous, translucent, undulate, 

 base cuneate, 2-lobed or cordate, 5-9-veined, cross venules 

 conspicuous, petiole compressed, shorter or longer than the 

 blade, up to 10 in. long; scape much longer than the I., terete. 



