TAMARIX.] TAMARISCINEM. 67 



3-5, free or connate, or 3-5 sessile stigmas ; ovules 2 or more, on basal 

 placentas, erect, anatropous, raphe ventral, micropyle superior. Capsule 

 3-5-valved. Seeds erect, usually more or less coinose or winged, albumen 

 fleshy farinaceous or 0; embryo straight, cotyledons flat. DISTRIB. Cold, 

 temp, and hot regions, often in sandy or saline places ; genera 5 ; species 

 40. AFFINITIES. With Caryophyllece, Portulacew, and Frankeniacece. 

 PROPERTIES. Tamarix yields manna and galls, and its ashes soda. 



TAM'ARIX, L. TAMARISK. 

 Sepals 4-5, free. Petals 4-5, free or united at the- base. Stamens 4, 5, 8, 



or 10. Ovary narrowed upwards ; styles 3-4, short, thick ; ovules many. 



Capsule 3-valved. Seeds many, with a lateral and terminal pencil of hairs, 



albumen ; embryo ovoid. DISTRIB. Of the Order ; species 20. ETYM. 



The Tamaris, a river of Spain where Tamarisk abounds. 



T. GALL'ICA, L. ; glabrous, disk acutely 5-angled. T. anglica, Webb. 



S. and E. coasts of England, where planted only ; an alien, Watson ; fl. July- 

 Sept. An evergreen shrub or small tree, 5-10 ft. Branchlets excessively 

 slender and feathery. Leaves on the branchlets extremely minute, closely 

 imbricate, triangular, auricled, keeled ; on the older wood much larger, 

 ^ in., subulate. Flowers fa in. diam., white or pink, in catkin-like obtuse 

 spikes, 1 in. Sepals lanceolate. Petals persistent. A nthers apiculate. Capsule 

 3-gonous. DISTRIB. Shores of Atlantic and Mediterranean. W. Asia to 

 N.W. India. 



ORDER XV. ELATINEJE. 



Herbs, often minute, or under-shrubs. Leaves opposite onvhorled, entire 

 or serrate, stipulate. Flowers small, axillary, solitary or cymose. Sepals 

 and petals each 2-5, free, imbricate in bud. Stamens 2-5, or twice as 

 many, hypogynous, free ; anthers versatile. Ovary free, cells and styles 

 2-5 ; stigmas capitate ; ovules many, on the inner angles of the 

 cells, anatropous, raphe lateral or ventral. Capsule septicidal ; valves 

 flat concave or inflexed, separating from the axis and septa. Seeds 

 straight or curved ; raphe on the concave side, testa often rugose, albumen 

 scanty or ; embryo cylindric, straight or curved, cotyledons small. 

 DISTRIB. Scattered over the globe ; genera 2 ; species 20. AFFINITIES. 

 With Caryophyllece and Hypericinece. PROPERTIES. Supposed to be acrid. 



1. ELAT'INE, L. WATERWORT. 



Very small, aquatic, creeping, glabrous herbs. Leaves spathulate. 

 Flowers minute, axillary. Sepals 2-4, membranous. Petals '2-4. Ovary 

 globose. Capsule membranous ; septa evanescent after bursting, or ad- 

 hering to the axis. Seed cylindric, straight or curved, ridged and pitted. 

 DISTRIB. Temp, and sub-trop. regions; species 6. ETYM. obscure. 



1. E. hexan'dra, DC. ; flowers pedicelled 3-merous, capsule turbinate, 

 seeds 8-12 in each cell straight ascending. E. tripetala, Sm. 

 Margins of ponds and lakes, rare, from Perth southwards ; N. and W. 



Ireland ; fl. July-Sept. Stems 1-3 in., matted, flaccid, rooting at the nodes. 



Leaves i-i in., spathulate. Flou-ert ,'* in. diam., alternate, axillary. Sepals 



F2 



