CLASS VIII. ORDER ir.J ELATINE. 581 



1. A. moschatel'lina, Linn. (Fig. 661.) Tuberous Moschatell. 



English Botany, t. 453. English Flora, vol. ii. p. 241. Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p 187. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 67. 



This is the only known species of the genus. The root is formed of 

 several fleshy concave imbricated scales, from the base of which arise 

 slender branched fibrous roots, and slender creeping underground 

 stems, forming at various intervals scaly tubers. Stem simple, solitary, 

 erect, angular, from three to four inches high, bearing above the middle 

 a pair of opposite leaves, on short footstalks, three-cleft, and lobed. 

 Leaves two or three from the base of the stem, on long slender foot- 

 stalks, tri-ternate, lobed, and cut smooth, as is the whole plant, and of 

 a pale glaucous green. Inflorescence a globose terminal head of fine 

 flowers, on a slender erect peduncle, the flowers pale green, the four 

 lateral ones having the calyx, three, sometimes four or five cleft, and 

 the corolla with a five-partite limb, the terminal flower has the calyx, 

 two rarely three-cleft, and the corolla with a four-partite limb. 

 Stamens with short stout filaments, united in pairs at the base, and 

 inserted into a fleshy ring round the germen. Anthers terminal, of one 

 cell, the lateral flowers having ten stamens, and the terminal one eight. 

 Styles simple, with a small obtuse stigma, the lateral flowers having 

 five, and the terminal one four. Fruit surrounded about the middle 

 with the persistent calyx, green, of four or five cells. 



Habitat. Woods, hedges, and shady places ; frequent. 



Perennial ; flowering in April and May. 



This little plant of modest appearance is a native of all parts of 

 Europe and Siberia, growing equally luxuriant on our plains, and 

 upon the tops of the highland mountains of Scotland. The flowers, 

 when the dew is upon them early in the morning or evening, have a 

 musky odour, on which account the plant has received its specific name. 



GENUS XIII. ELATINE. LINN. Water-wort. 

 Nat Ord. ELA'TINE.T. CAMB. 



GEN. CHAR. Calyx inferior, three or four partite. Petals three or 



four, sessile. Stamens equal in number to the petals, or twice as 



many. Styles three or four, very short. Stigmas capitate. 



Capsules three or four celled, three or four valved, and many 



seeded. Seeds cylindrical, attached to a central free receptacle. 



Name said to be derived from sXarri, a fir ; but without any 



apparent resemblance in the plants of our genus to that tree. 



1. E. hexan'dra, De Cand. (Fig. 662.) Hexandrous Water-wort. 



Leaves opposite, spathulate ; flowers alternate, pedicellated, erect, 



hexandrous, tripetalous; capsule turbinate, concave at the summir, 



three celled ; seeds about twelve in each cell, nearly straight, ascending. 



4 G 



