CYMODOCEACEAE. 



1. CYMODOCEA Konig. 

 Leaves terete in our species, acute. Flowers dioecious. Pistillate flowers 

 of 2 carpels; stigmas 2, Seed pendulous. [Named for Cymodoce, one of the 

 Nereids.] Type species: Cymodocea aequorea Konig. 



1. Cymodocea manatorum Aschers. Mana- 

 tee-grass. (Fig. 4.) Eootstock branched, 

 rooting at the nodes. Leaves li'-13' long, 

 terete or nearly so, about 1" thick, their bases 

 enclosed by membranous stipular sheaths i'-2' 

 long. 



The sketch of the inflorescence In the illustra- 

 tion is from a drawing liindly sent me by Prof. C. 

 H. Ostenfeld, of Copenhagen. Abundant in shal- 

 low bays and coves, in water from 2° to 6° in 

 depth, Castle Harbor. Shallow salt water, from 

 Florida and the Bahamas to Jamaica, Martinique 

 and Curagao. Transported to Bermuda by ocean 

 currents. Flowers in spring or summer. The 

 leaves break from the plant and are washed up in 

 large quantities on the shores. Native. 



Order 3. HYDROCHARITALES. 



Floating or more or less emersed herbs, perennial by rootstocks or 

 stolons. Flowers monoecious or dioecious, arising from spathes. Perianth 

 of 2 dissimilar series of parts or the corolla wanting. Stamens 3-12. 

 Carpels 3-15, united. Ovary inferior, with several parietal placentae or 

 several-celled. Endosperm none. 



Family 1. HYDRO CHARIT ACE AE Aschers. 

 Frog's-bit Family. 



Aquatic or mud-inhabiting herbs, the leaves clustered. Perianth regu- 

 lar, superior. Filaments distinct or partially united. Ovaiy usually 6-9-- 

 celled. Styles as many as the cavities of the ovary. Ovules numerous. 

 Fruit usually indehiscent. 



1. THALASSIA Banks. 

 Marine herbs, with elongated rootstocks. Leaves several at a joint, sheath- 

 ing at the base, linear, elongated. Scape arising from the cluster of leaves. 

 Flowers dioecious, solitary in narrow spathes of two bracts, the?e united into 

 a tube at the base. Staminate flowers long-pedicelled perianth of 3 petaloid 

 sepals; stamens 6; filaments very short: anthers opening laterally. Pistillate 

 flower nearly sessile in the spathe, caducous: ovary 6-9-celled, beaked. Fruit 



