148. PONTEDERIACEjE. [1. Monocharia. 



Bengal, J.D.H. (without locality) ! Prain {Beng. PI.) records it from Orissa, 

 probably on the strength of the Northen Circars locality, but there are no specimens 

 from Orissa as now constituted. Fl. June. 



FAM. 158. PONTEDERIACE^. 



Aquatic herbs with erect or floating parallel-nerved leaves. Flowers 

 2-sexual, irregular in spikes or racemes from the uppermost leaf- 

 sheath, with irregular sheathing bracts. Perianth unequally 6-partite, 

 marcescent, blue or w^hite. Stamens 1-6, inserted at the base of the 

 perianth with erect or versatile anthers, one usually longer than the 

 others. Ovary free, 3-celled, or 1 -celled with 3 parietal placentae, 

 style slender, stigma sub-entire or lobed. Ovules 1-more on each 

 placenta, anatropous. Fruit a membranous loculicidally 3-valved 

 capsule. Seeds small with horny or floury albumen. Embryo 

 cjdindric. 



Tepals nearly free ........ 1. Monocharia. 



Tepais forming a distinct tube below . . . . .2. Eichornia. 



1. MONOCHARIA, Presl. 



]\Iarsh herbs with short or creeping rootstock. Leaves radical, 

 and solitary at the top of the emerged stem or branches. Flowers 

 racemose or subumbellate campanulate with segments nearly free. 

 Stamens 6, one larger with the filament toothed on one side, anthers 

 basifixed, slit terminal at length elongating. Ovary 3-celled, many- 

 ovuled. 



Rootstock creeping. L. sagittate or hastate many-nerved . 1. hastata. 

 Rootstock short. L. linear to ovate, few-nerved . . .2. vaginalis. 



1. M. hastata, Solms. Syn. IM. hastsefolia, Presl. ; Pontederia has- 



tata, L. 

 A pretty marsh herb with the exserted leaf sagittate or hastate 

 with the basal lobes often rounded, 6-7" long, 4-6" broad, acute or 

 obtuse and many-nerved, petiole about half as long, its sheath dilated 

 and embracing the short peduncle of the shortly racemed or subum- 

 bellate inflorescence. Flowers long-pedicelled bright blue, -75-1" 

 diam., with one large blue stamen and 5 smaller yellow ones. Inflores- 

 cence reflexed after flow'ering and capsule enclosed in the persistent 

 twisted perianth. 



Slow streams and standing water, common ! " Probably in all districts. Fl. r.s. 

 Perennial. 



Rootstock creephig. Radical leaves on petioles 18-24" long, broad and sheathing 

 at the base. Scape below the inflorescence 9-lS'. Pedicels -7-1". Larger sepal 

 obovate, smaller oblong. Perianth according to F.BJ. violet-blue dotted with 

 red (I have not seen it so coloiu-ed). Filament spurred. Capsule subglobose or 

 oblong, -25" diam. 



2. M. vaginalis, Presl. 



A smaller and less pretty plant than the last with short rootstock 

 and usually narrow leaves, linear or lanceolate, more rarely ovate or 

 ovate-cordate, sheaths embracing the scape for a considerable distance 



1101 



