THE FAMILY OF MARE's TAILS 295 



are known as Willow-herbs. The Epilobiums are generally 

 comparatively insignificant, though often dainty little plants. 

 Many of them show interesting devices for securing 

 pollination. 



Haloragidaceae. 



The Family of Mare's Tails. 



Distribution. — A small family, widely distributed, but of little importance. 

 All the British species are aquatic. The flowers are inconspicuous, and often 

 devoid of petals. The Haloragidaceae are closely related to the Fuchsia family, 

 but the flowers in the former are often much reduced. 



Genus Haloragis. 



Herbs, erect or creeping. Leaves usually opposite. Flowers usually 

 axillary, rarely in spikes or panicles. Calyx-lobes 4 ; petals 4 or ; stamens 4-8. 

 Fruit a small nut, 2-4-celled. 5 sp. 



Haloragis electa* {The Erect Haloragis). 



An erect or sub-erect herb, 1 ft. -3 ft. high. Stem 4-angled ; leaves opposite, 

 Jin.-ljin. long, coarsely serrate. Flowers minute, green, in drooping, terminal 

 racemes. Nut 4-angled, green. Both islands : dry hills. Stewart Island. Fl. 

 Nov. -Jan. (H. alata of Cheeseman, etc.) 



Genus Mijriophyllum. 



Aquatic or marsh plants. Leaves usually whorled, much dissected when 

 submerged. Flowers small, axillary, white. Pistillate flower destitute of petals. 

 Stamens 4-8. Fruit, 2-4 1-seeded nuts. (Name from the Greek, signifying a 

 thousand leaves, from the deeply-cvat foliage). 



Mypiophyllum elatinoides {The Elatine-like Myriophylluvi) . 



Leaves 4 in a whorl. Flowers white, on a leafy spike, 2 in. -6 in. long. 

 Fruit of 4 minute nuts. 



This species may be taken as typical of a water plant. It 

 grows submerged in ponds and streams, and, consequently, 

 requires a very different structure from a land-growing plant. 



*Das Pflanzenreich (Engler), under Haloragidaceae. 



