98 Key to the System of 



Sepals and petals connate towards the base. 



Harsh and ramified plants, not very tall ; root-fibres thin ; 

 leaves very small, crowded on the branches, aciculate- 

 linear ; flowers singly terminal ; sepals and petals similar 

 to each other, upwards disconnected, rigid, pure-blue or 

 violet, shining, persistent, unshriveling ; anthers opening 

 by pores ; fruit dry, indehiscent, one-seeded. 



Calectasia. 1864 



AXiXSTCACEAE. 



480. Fruitlets hardly pointed, narrow at the base. 



Semiaquatic herbs, usually erect ; leaves basal ; ovule one ; 

 fruitlets circularly arranged. Alisma. 1865 



Fruitlets pungently pointed, broadly connate at the 

 base. 



Semiaquatic herbs, usually erect ; leaves basal ; ovules two 

 or more ; fruitlets circularly arranged. Figure 121. 



Dainasoniiun. 1866 



FHXXiHYDREAE. 



481. Anther coiled. 



Rather tall plant, beset with soft hairlets ; spike simple, 

 elongated, with large bracts ; ovulary imperfectly three- 

 celled. Fhilhydrum. 1867 



XYRXDEAE. 



482. Outer sepal petaloid. 



Erect mostly perennial plants ; leaves basal, very narrow, 

 often rigid ; flowers capitulate or spicate ; inner sepals 

 glumaceous; lobes of the corolla yellow; style three- cleft, 

 without basal appendages. Figure 122. Xyris. 1868 



TYPKACEAE. 



483. Flowers crowded into dense cylindrical spikes. 



Upper spike with staminate flowers ; lower spike with 

 pistillate flowers, both solitary; bracts and sepals hairlike; 

 fruits minute. "Reed-Mace." Typha. 1869 



Flowers crowded into several globular clusters. 



Upper clusters staminate, lower pistillate ; bracts and sepals 

 scale -like ; fruits rather conspicuous, often turgid. 



Sparganium. 1870 



