138 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
rivers, whose dried stems are used for the 
seats of chairs, and for matting. The Bur- 
reed, Sparganium, is a bright green plant with 
broad leaves rising from the water, among 
which are panicles of dense globular heads of 
flowers, the male with white flaccid filaments ; 
the female, below these, larger, and with firm, 
pointed, prominent ovaries. The leaves over- 
top the flowers; it is a handsome aquatic plant. 
Our solitary species of Verbena, the Vervain, 
V. officinalis, is now in flower, almost always 
seen by the wayside. It forms the only 
example we have of Nat. Ord. VERBENACEZ ; 
it has an angular stem, and small, distant pale 
purple flowers ; the stamens are either 4, and 
didynamous, or 2, The gay Garden Verbena 
comes from Buenos Ayres. The pretty Lan- 
tana and curious Clerodendron of the con- 
servatory are of the same Nat. Order. The 
Lemon Verbena, Aloysia, is a native of Chili; 
its strong and delightful fragrance is caused 
by the presence of glands on the plant, which, 
when bruised, give forth the scent. 
The Rush Family, /uzcus, Nat. Ord. Jun- 
CACE&, are not attractive plants, but differ much 
from other families by their rigid, unbranched 
