350 HYDROCHARIDE^E. [HYDROCHARIS. 



white, membranous. Stamens 12, 3-6 without anthers, filaments connate 

 below, forked, fleshy ; anthers basifixed, cells separate, both on one fork. 

 Rudimentary ovaries 3. FEMALE solitary, long-peduncled ; spathe 1, 

 radical. Sepals of the male. Petals with a fleshy gland at the base. 

 Staminodes 6, filiform, in pairs opposite the sepals. Ovary ovoid, 6-celled ; 

 styles 6, short, connate at the base ; ovules many, inserted on the septa, 

 orthotropous. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent. Seeds few, ovoid, immersed in 

 mucus, testa lax papillose ; embryo ovoid. DISTKIB. Europe except 

 Turkey, Siberia. ETYM. vSup, water, and x<W> elegance. 



1. H. Morsus-Ra'nse, L. ; leaves orbicular-reuiform, flowers white. 

 Ponds and ditches, from Northumberland southwards ; rare and local in Ire- 

 land ; fl. July- Aug. Stoloniferous, roots fibrous and bulbiferous. Leaves 

 1-1^ in. diam., deep green above, reddish below. Flowers erect, f-1 in. dium. ; 

 sepals small, oblong ; petals broadly obovate, crumpled. Fruit I have not 

 seen. The cells of the testa swell in water and emit a spiral thread. 



2. STRATIO'TES, L. WATER SOLDIER. 



A stoloniferous submerged herb. Leaves all radical. Flowers subdire- 

 cions, submerged in bud, emersed when open. Inflorescence and perianth 

 of Hydrocharis, but female flower sessile on a 2-spathed peduncle. il.\i,i; 

 fl. Stamens many, 12 antheriferous, the rest subulate ; anthers linear. 

 FEMALE. Slaminodes many, a few antheriferous. Ovary compressed with a 

 narrow neck, and fruit as in Hydrocharis ; ovules anatropous. DISTRIB. 

 Europe ex.cl. Greece and Turkey, Siberia. ETYM. o-Tpa.Ti<imit, a soldier, < 

 from the sword-like foliage. 



1. S. aloi'des, L. ; leaves tapering spinous-serrate. 



Ponds and ditches in the E. of England from York to Suffolk, and in Lanca- 

 shire and Cheshire ; naturalized in E. Scotland and Ireland ; fl. June-Aug. 

 Leaven 6-18 in., spreading, base J-J in. diam., rigid, brittle, deep green. 

 many -nerved. Peduncles axillary, short, stout. Flmcers 1 in. diam. l-'ruit 

 decurved at right angles to the peduncle, flagon-shaped, 6-gonous, green ; 

 carpels separating, full of mucus. Seeds with a mucous coat. 



2*. ANA'CHARIS, Rich. WATER-THYME. 



Stem slender, submerged, elongate, branched. Leaves in whorls of 3 

 (rarely 4), lower opposite. Flmocrs subdioecious, axillary, solitary, sessile ; 

 spathe tubular, slender, 2-lipped. Sepals and petals 3 each, small, grci-n. 

 MALE. Stamens 3-9, filaments short or 0; anthers oblong. FKM \u:. 

 Tube of perianth long, slender. Staminodes 3 or 6, sometimes antheri- 

 ferous. Ovary 1 -celled ; style slender, adnate to the perianth -tube, stigmas 

 3 ; ovules orthotropous, few, placentas 3 parietal. Berry oblong, 1 -celled, 

 few-seeded. DISTKIB. Temp, and trop. climates; species 2. ETYM. &va, 

 without, and x<fy>'* elegance. 



A. CANADEN'SIS, Planch. leaves linear- or lanceolate-oblong serrulate. 

 A. Alsinastrum, Bab.; A. Nutlallii, Planch.; Udnra, Nutt. 

 Ponds, ditches, and streams, abundant, introduced from America into County 



Down about 1836, and into England about 1841, rapidly spreading ; fl. May 



-OcL Dark green, pellucid. Ktem 1-4 ft., very brittle, terete, rooting at .the 



