370 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



three, six, or more apocarpous carpels, distinct and 

 separate at length, the carpels opening at the suture 

 or not at all. The styles are short or wanting. 

 The stigmas are terminal, simple or feathery. 

 There is a single ovule or more, anatropous or 

 campylotropous. 



The fruit is a group of leathery carpels or achenes 

 that do not open, or follicles. There is a single seed 

 (or more). The testa is leathery or membranous. 

 There is no endosperm. The embryo is straight or 

 hooked, horseshoe-shaped. There are no raphides. 



As the inner perianth-segments are petaloid they 

 serve to attract insects. Some types possess honey 

 as Biitoinus, others, as Sagittaria do not. 



The fruits are to a large extent dispersed by v^^ater. 

 Water Star Fruit has fruits v^ith large, long beaks 

 adapted to dispersal by animals. 



Many of these plants are beautiiul and suited to 

 the garden. They are of no economic importance. 



Water Plantain {Alisnia Plantago-aquatica), 



Possibly the first Latin name applied by Pliny is 

 to be derived from the Celtic, alts, water. But it is 

 uncertain to what plant it was originally applied. 

 The second Latin name and the English name have 

 reference to the habit of the plant, like a Plantain, 

 but aquatic. 



Though generally distributed throughout the 

 British Isles, especially in the lowlands, where 



