820 ALIfciMACE^. (WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY.) 



or rooirend of the seed-coat sejpaToMe as a lid, Emhryo 

 straight^ surrounded hj albumen — Fronds solitary or 2-4 coher- 

 ing, ovate-orbicular to oblong-lanceolate. Staminate Jloicers 1 

 or 2, consisting^of a single st^imeii, 2^'^stiUate consisting of a 

 single ovary, all enclosed in a bract or minute spathe, or 

 naked. Ovarj^ 1-celled, 1-several-ovuled, style short, stigma 

 concave-peltate — The simplest and smallest of flowering 

 plants, propagated by the proliferous growth of a new individ- 

 ual from a cleft in the edge or base of the parent frond, 

 remaining connected for sometime or separating ; also by 

 autumnal fronds in the form of minute bulblets, which sink 

 to the bottom of the water, but rise and vegetate in spring. 

 LEMNA, L. Duck- Weed. Duck's Meat. 



Fronds giving off a single rootlet from their lower surface. 

 Flowers exserted from a fissure in the margin of the frond, enclosed in 

 a bivalved spathe. Stamens 2, filaments thread-like, anthers 2- celled, 

 cells with 2 cellules one above the other, transversely dehiscent. Ovary 

 1-G-ovuled — Plants with no spiral ducts. 



IL, minor, L. 21 Fronds ohovate to oblong-obo\\ate, .003 long, 

 a little one-sided, flat. Utricle short-urn-shaped, tipped with a short 

 style ; seed half anatropous, horizontal, parallel with the margin of the 

 frond — Summer — Stagnant water ; rarely seen in flower or fruit, 



Tristram says that Wolffia Iiyalisia, Del., is found in Palestine. 



Order CXVIII. AI^ISMACEiE, L. C. Pvich. (Water-Plantain 



Family). 



Marsh herhs, loith scajye-liJce, floioering stems, and j)er-. 

 feet or Qnonoecious flowers, not on a spadix, consisting of a 

 calyx, corolla, hypogynous stamens, and ovaries sejxirate or 

 separating at maturity , forming as many 1-2-seeded pods or 

 akenes — Stamens 6-gc , anthers 2-celled, dehiscent lengthwise. 

 Ovaries 3-oo , each with a style, whorled or capitate. Carpels 

 indehiscent. Albumen 0. Embryo hooked. 



1. ALISMA. Ovary 1-celled, with 1, basilar, erect ovule. 



2. DAMASOXIUM. Ovary 1-celled, with 2-oo ovules, on a central placenta. 



3. BUTOMUS. Ovary 1-celIed, with c» ovules on a parietal, reticulated placenta. 



4. TRIGLOCHIN. Ovaries 6, united into 1, separating at maturity, 1-celled, 1-ovuled. 



1. AI.ISMA, L. 11 Water-Plaktain. 



Flowers perfect. Sepals 3, herbaceous, persistent. Petals ;J, 

 larger than calyx, deciduous, involute in aestivation. Stamens G, an- 

 thers attached at back of base. Ovaries numerous, implanted in a disk- 

 like receptacle, each containing 1, erect ovule, with extrorse micropylc, 

 lateral style and obsolete stigma. Carpels compressed, coriaceous, 1- 

 seeded. Seed erect. Embryo hooked— Aquatics with whorled flowers 

 in panicles. 



A. Plaiitago, L. If .5 to .8; leaves long-petioled, ovate to ob- 

 long-lanceolate, cuneate to cordate at base. Flowers on long, whorled 



