Buromopsis. | NAIADACE. 311 
8. BUTOMOPSIS, Kunth; Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 562, 
Annual erect scapigerous marsh herbs with milky juice. Leaves 
radical, elliptic-acute. Flowers 2-sexual, umbelled on a scape 
exceeding the leaves; whorls bracteate, sometimes superposed. 
Perianth segments 6, in two series. Sepals 3, herbaceous, persis- 
tent. Petals 3, larger than sepals, membranous, white, fugacious, 
Stamens usually 9, hypogynous, 6 outer in pairs opposite the sepals, 
sometimes one of a pair absent; 3 inner single, opposite petals, 
sometimes 1 or more replaced by a pair, filaments filiform, anthers 
oblong. Carpels 6-9, whorled on a flat receptacle, sessile and 
shortly connate below, 1-celled, style short, stigma somewhat 
external at apex of style; ovules many, small, on reticulate 
parietal placentas, ascending, anatropous. Fruit of 6-7 erect 
membranous follicles. Seeds many, minute, smooth; embryo 
conduplicate, horseshoe-shaped.—Species 2, in Asia, Africa and 
Tropical Australia. 
B. lanceolata, Kunth Enum. Pl. wi, 165; F. B. I. vi, 562; 
Prain Beng. Pl. 1120; Cooke Fl. Bomb, ti, 835. Butomus lanceo- 
jatus, Roxb. ; Fl. Ind, wi, 315. 
Rhizome small, emitting leaves above and fibrous roots below. Leaves 
membranous, 2-6 in, long, elliptic lanceolate, acute, entire, narrowed 
into the petiole; main nerves 5-7; petioles dilated at base, up to 
8 in. long. Scape usually longer than the leaves, stout, bearing an 
umbel of 3-20 flowers at its apex; bracts scarious, ovate, acute ; 
pedicels very variable in length, 1-6 in. long. Sepals 3, herbaceous, 
elliptic, obtuse, reticulately veined, persistent. Petals white fuga- 
cious. Follicles 6-7, reticulately veined, tapering into short beaks, 
Seeds many, oblong, with rounded ends, dark brown, shining. 
Merwara (A. E. Lourie), Moradabad (T. Thomson). Dristrre.: Plains 
of India and South to Bombay Presidency ; also common in Bengal 
rice-fields ; extending to Australia. 
CXX.—NAIADACE®. 
Marsh herbs, stemless, scapigerous, rootstock tuberous or creep- 
ing or aquatic submerged or floating. Leaves sheathing at the 
p2 
