LAGAROSIPHON.] HYDROCHARITACEM. 173 



Petals 3, narrow. Ovary produced beyond the spat he in a filiform 

 'beak, 1-celled ; styles 2-3, linear, undivided, stigmas fimbriate, 

 ovules anatropous. Fruit subulate, smooth or muricate. Seeds 

 2-3, minute, oblong, testa shortly produced at each end. A single 

 species found throughout India and in Ceylon extending to 

 Britain and C. Europe, Mauritius, Madagascar, Trop. Asia and 

 Australia. 



S. vertlcillata. Royle III. 376 ; F. B. I. V, 659 ; Watt E. D. ; Prain 

 Beng. PL 995 ; Cooke Fl. Bomb, ii, 668. Serpicula verticillata, 

 Linn. f. ; Roxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 578. Vallisneria verticillata, Roxb. 

 Fl. Ind. in, 751. 



Stems slender, 1 ft. or more long, branching, flaccid, often rooting 

 at the nodes ; branches with a short sheathing leaf at the base. 

 Leaves sessile, 4-8 in a whorl, the lowest often opposite, J-f in. 

 long, linear or linear-oblong, apiculata, entire or serrulate, midrib 

 prominent. Flowers J-|- in. long. Perianth-segments very variable. 

 Fruit smooth or muricate. 



Abundant throughout the area of this flora in still or slowly running 

 water ; common also in all India and in Ceylon. DISTRIB : Sec 

 under the genus. The small membranous spathes of the male-flowers 

 ultimately split and liberate the flowers which rise to the surface of 

 the water, where they float, expand and scatter their pollen. Sugar- 

 refiners in India use this plant, whilst moist, for covering the surface 

 of their sugar in order to produce a slow percolation of moisture 

 ; (See Royle HI. 1. c.). 



2. LAGAROSIPHON, Harv. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. v, 659. 



Submerged fresh- water herbs. Leaves scattered, fascicled or 

 somewhat whorled ; lower opposite, serrulate. Flowers dioecious. 

 MALE flowers minute, many in an ovoid 2-fid. axillary spathe. 

 .iSepals petaloid. Petals rather shorter. Stamens 2 or 3, filaments 

 short, anthers ovate, with often 2 or 3 staminodes. Pistillode none. 

 FEM. flowers : Staminodes none. Ovary oblong, produced into a 

 filiform beak ; styles 3, stout, notched ; ovules many, orthotropous. 

 JFruit ovoid oblong or linear, pericarp membranous. Seeds many, 

 testa with a mucous coat. Species about 12, in India, Africa and 

 Madagascar. 



