355 



Class II. MONOCOTYLEDONS. 



Order CXX. HYDROCHARIDEiE. 



Flowers mostly unisexual. Perianth of 3-6 segments, 

 either all petal-like or the 3 outer smaller and herbaceous, 

 with a tube adherent to the ovary in the females ; Avithout 

 any tube in the males. Stamens 3-12. Ovary inferior, 1- 

 celled, with 3 parietal placentas, or 3-, 6-, 9-celled ; styles 3, 

 6, or 9, with entire or 2-fid stigmas. Fruit small, ripening 

 under water, indehiscent. Seeds several, without albumen. — 

 Aquatic herbs. Leaves undivided. Flowers enclosed when 

 young in an involucre or spathe of 1-3 leaves or bracts. 



1. LAGAROSIPHON, Harv. 



Flowers dioecious. — Male : Spathe sessile, compressed, 2-fid, 

 many-flowered ; flowers pedicelled. Perianth 6-parted, peta- 

 loid, the outer segments larger. Stamens 6, 3 bearing anthers 

 opposite the outer segment of perianth ; 3 antherless, filiform, 

 alternate with them ; anthers 2-celled, 2-fid. — Female : Spathe 

 sessile, oblong, compressed, 2-fid, 1-flowered ; flowers sessile. 

 Perianth-tube very long, filiform ; limb 6-parted. Stamens 6, 

 abortive, filiform, short. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, wdth 3 pari- 

 etal placentas ; ovules few, erect ; style connate with the 

 perianth-tube, and as long ; stigmas 3, 2-parted ; lobes mam- 

 millate. Pericarp membranous, 2-3-seeded. Seed cylindrical. 

 —Harv. in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. 1842, p. 230. t. 22. 



L. mnioides is a lacustrine and river plant, wholly submerged, branch- 

 ing, 1-2 ft. long, slender, pellucid. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, 

 linear-attenuate, 1-nerved, serrulate. Flowers axillary. — Eastern district. 



Order CXXI. SCITAMINE.ffi. 



Flowers hermaphrodite, irregular. Perianth superior, of 

 9 segments in 3 series ; outer (calyx) herbaceous, rarely 

 petaloid, tubular or spathaceous ; inner of 6 unequal pieces 

 in 2 series, united into a tube ; upper larger hooded or ex- 

 panded. Staminodes united to the tube of the inner perianth. 

 Stamen 1, epigynous ; filament free, usually dilated and 

 petaloid and winged ; anthers of 2 parallel, introrse cells, ad- 

 nate to the face of the ^lament. Ovary 3-cellcd ; style fili- 



2 A 2 



