60 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, where I gathered both forms crowing 
together in the beginning of September, R. spiralis was in full flower, 
and had none but ; yery young fruit, while RK. rostellata had some of 
the fruit quite ripe. 
Lesser Ruppia. i 
‘4 
German, Schnabelfriichtige Ruppie. 
GENUS IV.—-ZOSTERA., Linn. 
Flowers numerous, monecious, sessile, disposed in two rows on the 
face of a flattened membranous spadix which is split longitudinally on 
the inner face, and terminates in a foliaceous point or lamina. Perianth 
none. Male flowers consisting of a single subsessile 1-celled anther. 
style persistent; stigmas 2. Fruit a membranous utricle bursting 
transversely. 
Submerged herbs growing in the sea below or near low water mark, 
with long ribbon-like dark green parallel-veined leaves. 
The name of this genus of plants is taken from the Greek word fwerijp a ribbon 
or girdle, which the leaves slightly resemble. 
SPECIES I—ZOSTERA MARINA. Linn. 
Pratres MCCCCXXIX. MCCCCXXX. ' 
Leaves broadly linear or linear, with 1 to 5 strong ribs, and very nut 
rous slender ones between them. Peduncle of the spathe thicke 
upwards and compressed, shorter than’ the spadix. Spadix s 
shaped, without marginal bands, many-flowered. Spathe gradual 
enlarged above the peduncle, with a long foliaceous point. N 
oblong-ovoid, longitudinally striate. 
Var. a, genuina. 
Prare MCCCCXXIX. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. VII. Tab. TV. Fig. 4. 
Z. marina, Reich. 1.c. p. 3. Hartm. Skand. Fl. ed. ix. p. 216. 
Leaves broadly linear, 3 to 7 ribbed. 
Var. 2, angustifolia. Fries. 
Pirate MCCCCXXX. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Hely. Vol. VII. Tab. III. Fig. 3. 
Z. angustifolia, Reich. 1,c. p. 3. Hartm. Skand. Fl. ed. ix. p. 217. 
Leaves narrowly linear, 1- to 3-ribbed. Peduncles longer in pr 
portion to the spadix than in var. «, and the whole plant smaller. 
