670 CXXIII. HYDBOCHARITACE-'E. 



which, after fertilization, again coils close and brings the ovary down to 

 ripen under water. Pruit linear, included in the spathe, many-seeded. 

 Fj. B. I. V. 5, p. 660 ; AVoodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 517 ; 

 Prain, Beng. PI. p. 996 : Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 6, part 4, p. 220. 

 VaUisneria sjiirahides, Koxb. Hort. Beng. (1814) p. 71; Grab. Cat. 

 p. 200. — Flowers : Apr.-]May. Yeris". Saivala. 



More or less abundant throughout the Presidency. Konkan: Lnwl Deccan; Poona, 

 Woodrow ; Kirkee, iu the Mula Eiver, J. G. Woodrow ! Sind : Stocksl, Bitchie, 69ii ! — 

 DiSTRiB. Tliroughout India; westward to Spain and in warm regions of the Old and 

 Kew Worlds. 



4. BLYXA, Noronha. 



Annual submerged tufted scapigerous herbs. Leaves linear, acute, 

 entire or minutely serrulate. Flowers hermaphrodite or dioecious ; 

 scapes long or short ; males pedicellate, several in a tubular 3-toothed 

 spathe ; hermaphrodite or female flowers solitary sessile, within a tubular 

 2-toothed spathe. Sepals 3, linear. Petals 3, linear, longer than the 

 sepals. Male floweks : Stamens normally 3-seriate, 1 or more often 

 reduced to staminodes ; anthers narrow, erect. Pistillodes 3, slender. 

 Female flowers : Staminodes or minute. Ovary linear, 1-celled, 

 beaked ; placentas parietal ; ovules many ; style very short ; stigmas 3, 

 filiform. Fruit linear, included in the ribbed narrow ventricose spathe; 

 pericarp membranous. Seeds numerous, oblong, smooth or tuberculate, 

 often tailed. — Distrib. Tropical Asia, Australia, Sumatra ; species 

 7 or 8. 



Flowers dioocious ; seeds witli sliort tails. 



Leaves broad at the base, 8-24 in. long, narrowed upwards 



to the acuminate tip ; seeds .', in. long, tuberculate ... 1. B. Eoxhurc/kii. 

 Leaves narrowed from below the middle to the base, 



4-6 in. long ; seeds 5 in. long, strongly echinate 2. B. Talhoti. 



Flowers hermaphrodite ; seeds with long filiform tails 3. B. echuiosperma. 



1. Blyxa Roxburghii, liicJi. in Mem. Inst. Fr. (1811) p. 77, t. 5. 

 Jjeaves 8-24 by \-h in., radical, linear, broad at the base, finely 

 acuminate at tlie apex. Flo\\ers dicEcious, white. Male floavers : 

 Scape straight, as long as or rather longer than the leaves. Stamens 8 ; 

 filaments of unequal lengths, shorter than the petals. Female floavers: 

 Scape shorter and thicker than in the male. Fruit 2-4 by ^ in. Seeds 

 small, Jj in. long, distinctly tuberculate, shortly tailed. Fl. B. I. a'. 5, 

 p. 660 ; Woodr. in Journ. i3omb. Nat. v. 12(1899) p. 517; Prain, Beng. 

 PI. p. 996. VaUisneria octandra, Eoxb. Cor. PI. v. 2 (1798) p. 34, 

 t. 165; Grab. Cat. p. 199— Flowers: Feb. 



In still wafer througiioul tiie Presidency, tolerably common. — DiSTitin. Tropical 

 Asia and Australia. 



2. Blyxa Talboti, IJool: f. FI. B. /.v. 5 (1888) p. 661. Leaves 

 4_6 by i-^ in., linear-lanceolate, serrulate. Flowers 1-sexual. Capsules 

 1-2 by j- in. Seeds very strongly echinate Avith a short tail at each end. 

 Woodr. in Jonrn. Bomb. Nat. v. 12 (1899) p. 517. — Flowers : Aug. 



There is but one sheet in Herb. Kew., the specimens on which are 

 female plants ody. J have not seen any male flowers. 

 Kanaka: Karwar, 'J'fi//>t>t, '281 1 



