274 Araliaceae 



2. MYBIOPHYLLUM L. 



Aquatic herbs with verticillate or alternate leaves, the 

 emersed ones entire, dentate or pectinate, the submerged 

 ones pinnatifid into capillary segments. Flowers axil- 

 lary, often interrupted-spicate, commonly monoecious, 

 2-bracted. The upper flowers generally staminate with 

 very short calyx-tube, the limb of this 2-4-lobed or 

 wanting; petals 2-4; stamens 4-8. Intermediate flowers 

 often perfect. The lower pistillate, the calyx more or 

 less deeply 4-grooved, with or without minute lobes ; 

 ovary 2-4-celled ; ovules 1 in each cell, pendulous ; styles 

 4, short, often plumose. Fruit splitting at maturity into 

 4 bony, 1-seeded, indehiscent carpels. 



1. M. spicatum L. Submerged leaves in whorls of 4's and 

 5's, dissected into capillary divisions ; floral leaves ovate, entire 

 or serrate, usually shorter than the flowers or sometimes none ; 

 spike 2.5-7.5 cm. long; petals 4, deciduous; stamens 8; fruit 

 about 2 mm. long and 3 mm. thick ; carpels rounded on the back, 

 with a deep groove between them, smooth or rarely slightly 

 rugose. 



Occasional in deep pools or lakes in all our mountains. 



Family 66. ARALIACEAE. GINGSENG FAMILY. 



Herbs, shrubs or trees, with alternate or verticillate 

 rarely opposite leaves, and perfect or polygamous, vari- 

 ously clustered flowers. Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary, 

 its limb truncate or toothed. Petals usually 5, valvate or 

 slightly imbricate, sometimes cohering together, inserted 

 on the margin of the calyx. Stamens as many as the 

 petals and alternate with them, rarely none, inserted on 

 the epigynous disk ; filaments filiform or short ; anthers 

 introrse. Ovary inferior, 1-several-celled ; styles as 

 many ; ovules 1 in each cell, pendulous, anatropous. 

 Fruit a berry or drupe. Seeds flattened or somewhat 

 3-angled ; the testa thin ; endosperm copious ; embryo 

 small. 



