Elatine.] ELATINE^. 71 



Order XIV. ELATINEJE. 



Herbs, often minute, or under-shrubs. Leaves opposite or whorl ed, 

 entire or serrate, stipulate. . Flowers small, axillary, solitary or cymose. 

 Sepals and petals each 2-5, distinct, imbricate in bud. Stamens 2-5, or 

 twice as many, hypogynous, distinct ; anthers versatile. Ovary free, cells 

 and styles 2-5 ; stigmas capitate ; ovules many, on the inner angles of the 

 cells, anatropous, raphe lateral or ventral. Capsule septicidal ; valves 

 fiat concave or inflexed, separating from the axis and septa. Seeds 

 straight or curved, raphe on the concave side, testa often rugose, albumen 

 scanty or ; embryo cylindric, straight or curved, cotyledons small. — 

 Distrib. Scattered over the globe ; genera 2 ; species 20. — Affinities. 

 With Caryophyllece and Hypericineoz. — Properties. Supposed to be 

 acrid. 



I. ELATINE, L. WATERWORT. 



"Very small, submerged, creeping, glabrous herbs. Leaves spathulate. 

 Flowers minute, axillary. Sepals 2-4, membranous. Petals 2-4. Ovary 

 globose. Capsule membranous ; septa evanescent after bursting, or ad- 

 hering to the axis. Seeds cylindric, straight or curved, ridged and pitted. 

 — Distrib. Temp, and sub-trop. regions ; species 6. — Etym. obscure. 



1. E. hexan'dra, DC. ; flowers pedicelled 3-merous, capsule turbinate, 

 seeds 8-12 in each cell straight ascending. E. tripetfala, Sm. 



Margins of ponds and lakes, rare, from Perth to Surrey and Cornwall (not in E. 

 counties), ascends to 1,617 ft. in the Highlands ; N". and W. Ireland ; fl. July- 

 Sept. Stems 1-3 in., matted, flaccid, rooting at the nodes. Leaves |-§ in., 

 spathulate. Flowers T a c in. diam., alternate, axillary. Sepcds unequal. 

 Petals pink, longer than the sepals —Distrib. Europe, from Norway, 

 southd. to Spain, Lombardy, and Hungary, Azores. 



2. E. Hydropi'per, L. ; flowers sessile 4-merous, capsules subglobose, 

 seeds 4 in each cell hooked pendulous. 



Muddy ponds, very rare ; Surrey, Worcester, and Anglesea ; Lough Neagh, 

 and Lagan Canal, Ireland ; fl. July-Aug. — Very similar to E. hexan'dra. 

 — Distrib. Europe to S. Russia (excl. Spain, Greece, Turkey, and 

 Denmark). 



Order XV. HYPERiCi'NEfli. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves opposite, often covered with pellucid 

 glands, entire or glandular-toothed, exstipulate. Flowers terminal, cymose, 

 rarely axillary. Sepals 5, rarely 4, imbricate in bud. Petals as many, 

 hpyogynous, usually twisted in bud. Stamens many, rarely few, more or 

 less connate in bundles ; anthers versatile. Disk obscure or of intersta- 

 minal glands. Ovary of 3-5 carpels, 1- or 3-5-celled ; styles as many, 

 filiform, stigmas terminal ; ovules few or many, on parietal or axile 

 placentas, anatropous, raphe lateral or superior. Fruit a septicidal capsule, 



