PISTIA. 125 
spadix consists of a short peduncle, which soon expands into 
a membrano-cellular spatha: the margin of which is con- 
tracted towards the middle, it then expands again, and as- 
sumes an auriculiform shape, margin repand apex acute. 
From the base of the expansion proceeds the ovarium, and 
corresponding to the contracted portion or base of the auri- 
cula, the male flower. Intermediately and close to the male 
flower, a glandular subcyathiform repando-crenate body is 
produced. The male inflorescence consists of a glandular 
lobed crenate sessile cup, from the centre of which a column 
arises bearing towards its apex 3-4 anthers, one being termi- 
nal. Anthers 4 lobed, lobes reniform, pollen smooth. The 
ovarium, which is attached extensively and obliquely to the 
middle part of the spatha is ovate globose (when nearly ma- 
ture) l-celled, containing several half ascending ovula. Pla- 
centa of equal extent with the attachment of the ovarium, 
the style is short, stigma subcapitate, papillose. The ovari- 
um is easily ruptured, its endocarpial cells contain air, a few 
veins are visible but do not seem to ramify it, as well as the 
ovula contain much mucilage. 
The ovula are in their early stages smooth, ovate narrowed 
towards the centre, externally the secundine is at this time 
highly developed, projecting considerably from the opening of 
the primine. The testa subsequently becomes verrucose : 
the apex of the seed is concave, and at the bottom of the con- 
cavity the embryo is situated. Embryo solid, situated like a 
wedge at the apex of fleshy albumen. 
From among the leaves, offsets branch off, from the axis, 
which after running about an inch, enlarge at the apex, 
which becomes a shortened depressed axis, and developes 
leaves etc. in the same way as the parent axis. 
The Ovarium, as it increases in size, becomes more and 
more inflated, it is always backed by the spatha, which remains 
tolerably perfect, it is terminated by the remains of the style. 
The stem of the offset, consists of cellular tissue irregular- 
ly broken up into large cavities for containing air?, and a 
