30 HYUROCHARis MORSUS-RAN^. {January, 



HYDROCHAEIS MORSUS-KAN^E. 



Having obtained plants of the Frogbit {Hydrocharis Morsus- 

 ranci) from ditches near Christchurch, in Hampshire, and grown 

 them in a pan of water for three or four years, an opportunity 

 has offered of observing the manner in which this aquatic lives 

 unharmed by the winter frosts, and disperses itself through the 

 waters in which it grows. The peculiarities noticed do not seem 

 to have been mentioned in any of the leading botanical works, 

 and are perhaps of sufficient interest to warrant their admission 

 into the pages of the ' Phytologist' for general information. 



Hydrocharis Morsus-ranoi is described in all the Floras as 

 being perennial ; but it decays entirely away every autumn in 

 October or November, and disappears altogether from the sur- 

 face of the water which it has hitherto nearly covered with its 

 leaves. In what sense, then, is it 2^<^'^^nnial ? — and how is its 

 permanent existence secured otherwise than by seed? It is 

 observed to be in the following manner : — The Frogbit sends ofl" 

 in different directions floating runners, ending in plants, which 

 again send off others, and in this way it occupies and covers the 

 surface of the waters in which it is found. But whence does 

 the original plant proceed which produces all these proliferous 

 runners, for during the winter months there is not a trace of one 

 left ? It is seen to take its rise from a little bud or bulb ; for 

 besides the runners bearing plants putting forth leaves and 

 flowers, each plant, towards the end of summer, sends off one or 

 more runners which end in a scaly bud, and at the time of the 

 decay of all the rest of the plant in the autumn months, these 

 scaly buds retain their vigour and vitality, become detached from 

 the perishing runners, and sink to the bottom of the water, where 

 they pass the winter upon the mud. Early in May the little 

 scaly buds, which have lain tranquilly below during the previous 

 months, yielding to the influences of the season, and to the mys- 

 terious periodicity of their nature, rise once more to the surface, 

 expand, put forth their leaves and proceed to run their summer 

 course of existence as before. 



The history of the Frogbit would appear then to present 

 these points, which are remarkable. Firsts it offers an instance 

 of a water-plant, the perennial existence of which is secured by 

 means of scaly buds, produced at the end of runners, and sepa- 

 rating from the parent plant, — in other words, by means of 



