SAG 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



SAL 



509 



much stronger than either of the two preceding; gi owing 

 frequently on dry gravelly pastures and heaths among grass, 

 flowering in April and May. 



5. Sagina Virginica; Virginian Pearlwort. Stem upright; 

 flowers opposite ; one flower terminating, and some opposite, 

 each on its proper peduncle. Found among moss on the 

 brinks of springs in Virginia, where it is a native. 



6. Sagina Maritima ; Sea Pearlwort. Stems nearly up- 

 right, divaricated, smooth ; leaves obtuse, without bristles ; 

 petals obsolete. An annual ; with a fibrous root ; the stems 

 about four inches high, often purplish ; flowers erect, much 

 longer than the leaves. Found at Bally-castle, near the 

 Giant's Causeway, in Ireland. 



Sagitta-ria ; a genus of the class Moncecia, order Poly- 

 andria. GENERIC CHARACTER. Male Flowers, many. 

 Calix : perianth three-leaved; leaflets ovate, concave, per- 

 manent. Corolla : petals three, roundish, blunt, flat, spread- 

 ing, three times as large as the calix. Stamina : filamenta 

 numerous, (more than twenty,) awl-shaped, collected into a 

 bead ; antherse erect, the length of the calix. Female Flowers, 

 fewer, below the males. Calix : perianth as in the male. 

 Corolla: petals three, as in the male. Pistil: germina 

 numerous, compressed, collected into a head, gibbous out- 

 wards, ending in ver.y short styles; stigmas acute, permanent. 

 Pericarp : none ; receptacle globular, collecting the seeds 

 into a globe. Capsule : numerous, oblong, compressed, girt 

 longitudinally with a membranaceous margin, which is wide, 

 gibbous on one side, acuminate at both ends. Seeds: soli- 

 tary, oblong. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Mule. Calix: 

 three-leaved. Corolla: three-petalled. Filamenta: commonly 

 twenty-four. Female. Calix: three-leaved. Petals: three. 

 Pistilla: many. Capsules: numerous, inflated, single-seeded, 

 not bursting. The species are, 



1. Sagittaria Sagittifolia ; Common Arrowhead, Leaves 

 arrow-shaped, acute. Root perennial, consisting of a tube 

 fixed deeply in the mud ; stem and petioles triangular, very 

 spongy, by which they are supported in the water in con- 

 sequence of the air generated within them : they discharge a 

 white milky juice, an uncommon circumstance in aquatic 

 plants. The bulb, or tuber, whu'h fixes itself in the solid 

 earth below the mud, constitutes a considerable part of the 

 food among the Chinese, and upon that account they culti- 

 vate it. The roots are larger there than in the East Indies 

 and America, where they are also eaten ; but are neglected 

 in Europe, probably on account of their acrid and caustic 

 qualities. This plant varies much in size, and has leaves of 

 different forms ; hence several varieties and pretended spe- 

 cies of old authors. Dr. Stokes remarks, that the flowers 

 which are called male, have from one to five pistilla, and 

 that there are none with stamina only. Dr. Smith says, tlmt 

 he bas observed three or four pistilla in some of the male 

 flowers; but whether they ever ripen is uncertain: they 

 should therefore rather be called imperfect hermaphrodites. 

 Native of Europe, Siberia, China, Cochin-china, Japan, 

 and Virginia, in pools, ditches, and slow streams; of which 

 it is one of the most beautiful ornaments throughout Eng- 

 land, flowering in July and August. 



2. Sagittaria Obtusifolia; Blunt-leaved Arrowhead. Leaves 

 arrow-shaped, obtuse. Stem branched; flower-stalks pani- 

 cled. This differs from the preceding in having the anterior 

 part of the leaves twice as wide. Native of Asia. 



3. Sagittaria Lancifolia; Lance-leaved Arrowhead. Leaves 

 lanceolate-ovate. The stem grows very luxuriant in general, 

 and rises frequently to the height of two or three feet above 

 the foliage. The branches of the lower whorls seldom exceed 



in number, and are commonly subdivided in the same 



manner themselves; but those of the higher order consist 

 chiefly of five long simple flower-stalks, and those about the 

 top of three only ; fruit depressed. Native of Jamaica and 

 Cuba, in stagnant waters. 



4. Sagittaria Acutifolia. Sharp-leaved Arrowhead. Leaves 

 awl-shaped. This is of the same size as the first species. 

 Native of Surinam, in water. 



6. Sagittaria Trifolia ; Three-leaved Arrowhead. Leaves 

 ternate. Native of China. 



6. Sagittaria Hastata; Halbert -leaved Arrowhead. Leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, sensibly acute, sagittate; lobes patent, 

 lanceolate, very considerably acuminated ; scape simple ; 

 flowers dioecous ; bractes and calices subrotund, obtuse. 

 Grows in the old ditches of Pennsylvania. 



7. Sagittaria Gracilis ; Slender Arrowhead. Leaves linear, 

 slightly obtuse, three-nerved, sagittate; lobes patent, linear, 

 elongate, very finely acuminate; scape simple, with few 

 flowers; flowers dioecous; bractes short, suborbiculate. The 

 leaves of this plant are very slender, 'and about three inches 

 long, measured from the beginning of the petiole. Grows in 

 bogs and ditches, from Pennsylvania to Virginia, particularly 

 on the mountains, flowering in July and August. 



8. Sagittaria Rigida; Riyid Arrowhead. Leaves narrow- 

 lanceolate, carinated underneath, rigid, very acute^ scape 

 branchy; flowers monoecous, very numerous; petioles strong, 

 stiff. Grows on the still and deep waters of Oswego river, 

 near the great falls, New York. This plant grows in a depth 

 of more than seven feet water. 



9. Sagittaria Simplex; Simple Arrowhead. Leaves linear- 

 lanceolate, acute, angustated on the lower part; scape simple, 

 with many flowers; flowers direcous, from twelve to eighteen 

 in a scape; bractes and calices rounded, obtuse. Grows in 

 the small ponds of New Jersey. The leaves of this plant are 

 about six inches long, and half an inch wide. 



10. Sagittaria Graminea; Grassy Arrowhead. Leaves linear, 

 very long, three-nerved ; scape simple, with few flowers ; flowers 

 monoecous; bract&s oblong, obtuse. Grows in Carolina. 



11. Sagittaria Natans ; Floating Arrowhead. Leave* 

 natant, elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse, three-nerved, attenuated 

 at the base, lowest ones subcordate; scape simple, with a 

 few flowers; peduncles inferior, elongate ; flowers small. 

 Grows in the rivulets of Lower Carolina. 



Sago Tree. See Cycas. 



Saintfoin. See Hedysarum Onobrychis. 



Saint John's Bread. See Ceratonia. 



Saint John's Wort. See Hypericum. 



Salacia; a genus of the class Gynandria, order Triandriii. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Caluc : perianth one-leafed. 

 five-parted, very short, spreading ; segments ovate, acute, 

 permanent. Corolla : petals five, roundish, sessile. Sta- 

 mina : filamenta none; antheroe three, twin, divaricate at tlw 

 base, placed on the apex of the germen. Pistil: germen 

 roundish, larger than the calix; style very short, betweeu 

 the antherae; stigma simple. Pericarp: berry one-celled, 

 three-seeded. Seeds: roundish, even. ESSENTIAL CHA- 

 RACTER. Monogynous or one-styled. Calix: five-parted. 

 Corolla: five-petuiled. Antherce: placed on the apex of the 

 germen. Style: very short. Stiyma: simple. The spe- 

 cies are, 



1. Salacia Chinensis. Leaves quite entire, alternate. A 

 shrub, with smooth, angular, purplish, or somewhat glaucous 

 branches; leaves about two inches long, oval; flowers several 

 together, small, on short simple stalks, axillary. Native of 

 China. 



2. Salacia Cochinchinensis. Stem shrubby; leaves sub- 

 serrate, opposite; flowers heaped, axillary, of a yellowish-red; 



