20. LEMNACEAE — 21. FLAGELLARIACEAE — 22. KESTIONACEAE II9 



FAMILY 20. LEMNACEAE 



Floating herbs without distinct stems or leaves, consisting of leaf- or grain- 

 like fronds. Inflorescence seated in a cavity of the frond and consisting of 

 1-2 male flowers and a female. Flowers monoecious, without a perianth. 

 Stamen i. Ovary i-cclled, with i^ — 6 basal ovules and a funnel-shaped stigma. 

 Seed-coat fleshy. — Genera 3, species 12. 



1. Fronds rootless. Inflorescence on the back of the frond, without a spathe 



and consisting of i male and i female flower. — Species 6. (Including 

 Wolfjiella Hegelm., under Lemnn L.) [Subfamily WOLFFIOIDEAE.] 



Wolffia Horkel 



Fronds with roots. Inflorescence at the margin of the frond, consisting of 



2 male and a female flower enclosed by a spathe. [Subfamily LEM- 



NOIDEAE.] 2 



2. F'ronds with one root each, 3 — 5-nerved. — • Species 5. Some are used in 



medicine. '' Duckweed." Lemna L. 



Fronds with several roots each, many-nerved. — Species i. (Under Lemna 

 L.) Spirodela Schleid. 



ORDER FARINOSAE 



SUBORDER FLAGELLARIINEAE 

 FAMILY 21. FLAGELLARIACEAE 



Climbing herbs. Leaves lanceolate, ending in a tendril. Flowers in panicles, 

 regular, hermaphrodite. Perianth-segments 6, free, subpetaloid, yellowish 

 or whitish, the outer somewhat shorter than the inner. Stamens 6. Anthei-s 

 turned inwards. Ovary superior, 3-celled, with a solitary, inverted ovule in 

 the inner angle of each cell. Style with 3 linear, recurved stigmas. Fruit a 

 I- — 2-seeded berry. Seeds with a mealy albumen and a small marginal embryo. 



Genus i. Species i. Tropical and South-east Africa. Used in medicine 

 and for plaiting-work Flagellaria L. 



SUBORDER ENANTIOBLASTAE 



FAMILY 22. RESTIONACEAE 



Grass-like herbs. Leaves linear or reduced to the sheath. Flowers in spike- 

 lets usually arranged in spikes or panicles, regular, unisexual. Perianth of 

 3^ — 6 membranous or scarious segments, imbricate in bud, rarely absent in the 

 female flowers. Stamens 2 — 3. Anthers i-celled. Ovary superior, i — 3- 

 celled, with i — 3 pendulous, straight ovules. Fruit dry. Seeds with a 

 mealy albumen and a marginal embryo. — Genera 12. Species 230. South 

 Africa to Nyasaland. (Plate 13.) 

 I. Ovary i-celled, sometimes 2 — 3-celled when young. Fruit i-celled, 



indehiscent 2 



Ovary 2 — 3-ceDed. Fruit i — 3-celled, dehiscent. Flowers dioecious. 10 



