776 STRATIOTES. LCLASS XUI. ORDER n. 



wild state to crimson, pink, and white. The flowers are of an extremely 

 curious structure, and the office which the nectariferous petals performs 

 in the economy of the plant is an interesting enquiry. The stamens 

 are remarkable not only for their position in circles, and in each stamen 

 being placed before the other ; but circles seem to be perfected one 

 after the other, and as each inner circle perfects its anthers, and dis- 

 charges its pollen, the next outer one elongates, its filaments which 

 were recurved now become erect, and having discharged their pollen, 

 each succeeding circle goes through the same process in its order. It 

 is probable that the gland at the apex of the tube of the petal fur- 

 nishes the stamens with a secretion conducive to their perfection. 



GENUS XV. STRATIOTES Linn. Waler-Soldier. 



Nat. Ord. HYDROCHARID'EiE. Juss. 



Gen. Char. /Sjoa^Aa of two pieces. Ca/^ic three cleft. Petals three. 

 Styles six, bifid. Berry hexagonal, six celled, many seeded. — 

 Name from crrfaro?, army; on account of its numerous sword-like 

 leaves. 



1. S. aloi'des, Linn. (Fig. 878.) Water Soldier. Leaves sword- 

 shaped, with a prominent mid-rib, and sharp marginal serratures. 



English Botany, t. 379. — English Flora, vol. iii. p. 34. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, ed. 3. vol. i. p. 216. — Lindley, Synopsis, p 254. 



Root numerous round long simple fibres. Stem a round fleshy nob, 

 from which arise the leaves, flowers, and, after it has done flowering, 

 numerous runners, which terminate in buds, and put out roots which 

 form the next year's plant. Leaves numerous, linear lanceolate, 

 or sword-shape, from six to twelve inches long, and about three quarters 

 of an inch wide, of a dark olive green, with a prominent mid-rib on 

 the under side and several parallel slender veins, the margins more or 

 less numerously furnished with sharp horny serratures. Flowers 

 solitary, terminating a compressed two-edged scape, from four to six 

 inches long, the margins on the upper part especially mostly furnished 

 with prickles. Spatha of two unequal compressed pieces, with an 

 acute prickly keel, single flowered. Calyx tubular, cleft into three 

 obtuse lobes, pale green. Petals large, white, obovate, somewhat 

 spreading. Stamens about twenty, inserted into the top of the tube. 

 Styles six, erect, deeply cleft. Stigmas simple. Fruit a fleshy taper 

 pointed six angled six celled berry. Seeds numerous, somewhat 

 angular. 



Habitat.— L^kes and ditches ; Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Cheshire, &c. ; 

 rare in the North of England, and " planted in the Lochs of Dud- 

 dingstone, Forfar, and Cluny." — Hooker. 



Perennial ; flowering in July. 



