80 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
SPECIES I-STRATIOTES ALOIDES. Lin. : 
Pirate MCCCCXLV. : 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. VIL. Tab. LXI. Fig. 111. 
The only known species. ) 
In ditches and ponds. Rare and doubtfully native, except in the 
east of England, from Suffolk to York. Perhaps indigenous also in 
earee tee and Cheshire. In Scotland it has long been naturalised in 
Duddingston Loch and near Corstor phine, 1) dinburgh, and in the 
Lochs of Cluny and Forfar. In Ireland it is very doubtfully indige- 
nous, though naturalised in a good many places, and perhaps nativei 
the lakes and ditches of Cavan and Fermanagh. 
England, [Scotland,] Ireland (?). Perennial. Late Summer. : 
Root-fibres elongated. Rootstock stoloniferous, producing new 
plants on runners in the same manner as Hydrocharis. Leaves nume- 
rous in each tuft, sessile, 4 to 18 inches long, linear, tapering towards 
the apex, keeled below, channeled above, half sheathing at the b 
acute, serrate, brittle, lurid-green or brownish-maroon ; the outer ones 
recurved ; the inner erect. Peduncles axillary, shorter than the 
leaves. Spathe subherbaceous, 2-leaved, the leaves keeled on the 
back. Male flowers (which I have not seen in British specimens) 1 
3 from each spathe, pedicellate, 1} inch across, pure white : stame 
yellow. Female flowers in spathes similar to those of the male flowers, 
but the flowers are sessile and solitary; tube about 14 inch long, the 
base adhering to the ovary, the upper part pr oduced beyond it: 
stamens numerous, some of them often fertile, so that the female plant 
alone frequently fruits. Cs apsule bent at right angles to the peduncle, 
subherbaceous, flask-shaped, 6-celled and 6- “angled. Seeds numerous, 
contained in membranous pulp. 
Jater Soldier. 
French, Stratiote aloes. German, Aloeblittrige Krebsscheere. 
This plant is easily recognised by the similarity of its foliage to that of an aloe. In 
the autumn the plants sink to the bottom of the water, and in the spring, from 
amongst the leaves of the old plants, arise numerous thick suckers, each hearing & 
young plant which floats on the surface, where it grows to maturity. It grows very 
rapidly, and is a desirable plant to cultivate in ponds and still rivers. 
GENUS I/.—ELODEA* Rich. 
Flowers diecious or polygamous. Male flowers solitary, sessile, 
from a 2-lipped axillary sessile spathe; perianth of 6 segments, the 
~ 
* This ought to be Helodia. I follow Mr. Bentham in placing this plant in this 
genus; though I believe Hydrilla to be the proper name ; there being no characters of 
sufficient importance to separate the genera “ Hydrilla,”’ “ Blodea,” and “ Anacharis.” 
