Mr. Lambert's Observations on the Zizania aquatica. 265 



Canada; and the seeds, which are as large as oats, and perhaps as 

 nutritive, are used by the Indians for food ; as may be seen in Carver's 

 Travels in America, and also in Kalm'sTravels, vol. 3. p. 32 and 54. 



This species has been so fully described already by Linnaeus in 

 his Mantissa, that any further description would be superfluous : 

 but as the figures which have been hitherto given of it are very 

 imperfect, I beg leave to present the Society with a plate engraved 

 from a drawing made from a plant growing at Spring-Grove. 



Dr. Smith, on the authority of the Linnaean Herbarium, informs 

 me that this is certainly what Linnaeus meant by Zizania palustris 

 in his Mantissa, although it is what he had previously described 

 in both editions of his Species Plantarum under the name of 

 Z. aquatica, as the original specimen shows. It seems however that 

 he latterly intended Sloane's plant, Hist, of Jamaica, tab. 67. to 

 remain as the aquatica, conceiving, that, on account of its great 

 spreading panicle, to be a different plant. Linnaeus notes in his 

 manuscript that Z.. terrestris of Hort. Malab. v. 12. t. 60. should 

 be examined, in order to be distinguished from this in the specific 

 character. He further remarks, that the above plant, Zizania 

 palustris, which he had in his garden, was well figured in a dis- 

 sertation de Alimentis farinaceis, published at Leyden in 1760 by 

 J. Scheuchzer. Probably Browne's synonym belongs rather to 

 Sloane's plant. 



Fig. A. in the annexed plate represents a male Glume, with 

 the Anthers magnified. 



B. An Anther highly magnified. 



C. Female Glume, natural size, 

 d. The other side of the same. 



D. The same highly magnified. 



E. The same opened, showing the Pistillum. 



F. Pistillum, with the Germ, Styles, and Nectary. 



G. Seeds, natural size. H. Seed dissected. 



vol. vii. 2 m XVII. Ob- 



