Taxus.] CONIFER JE. 381 



Hill-sides aud woods, from Perth and Argyll to Somerset and Kent; ascends 

 to 1,500 ft. in Northumbd. ; Ireland ; fl. March.— TVee 15-50 ft., in England ; 

 loftier in India ; sometimes 27 ft. in girth, channelled ; bark thin, flaking ; 

 branches spreading. Leaves \—\\ in., coriaceous, shining above, paler be- 

 neath. Male catkins £ in., yellow ; female minute ; scales green. Fruit 

 h in. ; cup red, mucilaginous; seed olive-green, punctulate. — I believe also 

 the 6 supposed species of this genus to be forms of one. T.fastiyia'ta, 

 Lindl. (Irish or Florence-court yew), is a fastigiate variety. 



Class II. MONOCOTYLE'DONES. 



ORDER LXXV. HYDROCHARl'DEiE. 



Aquatic herbs. Leaves aerial floating or submerged, opposite orwhorled, 

 convolute in bud. Flowers usually dioecious, buds inclosed in one or more 

 spathaceous bracts. — Male. Perianth of 6 segments in 2 series (rarely 

 0), 3 inner often petaloid, imbricate or valvate in bud. Stamens on the 

 base of the segments, 3 and opposite the sepals, or more and in 2 or more 

 series, filaments free or connate below ; anthers adnate. Ovary rudiment- 

 ary. — Female. Perianth superior, 6-partite. Staminodes various, some- 

 times antheriferous. Ovary 1- or 3-6-celled ; styles 3 or 6, 2-fid, free or 

 connate below, stigmas decurrent ; ovules many, ascending. Fruit usually 

 baccate, submerged, 1-6-celled. Seeds many or few, on projecting placen- 

 tas, testa firm, albumen ; embryo straight, plumule lateral, radicle next 

 the hilum. — Distrib. All climates ; genera 14 ; species about 40. — 

 Affinities. None. — Properties unimportant. 



Leaves orbicular, floating 1. Hydrocharis. 



Leaves ensiform, serrate, submerged 2. Stratiotes. 



Leaves linear opposite or whorled, submerged 2*. Elodea. 



1. HYDROCHARIS, L. FROG-BIT. 



A floating herb. Leaves orbicular, quite entire. — Male fl. 2-3, sub- 

 umbelled ; spathe peduncled, 2-leaved. Sepals 3, herbaceous. Petals 3, 

 white membranous. Stamens 12, 3-6 without anthers, filaments connate 

 below, forked, fleshy ; anthers basifixed, cells separate, both on one fork. 

 Pistillodes 3. — Female solitary, long-peduncled ; spathe 1, radical. 

 Sepals of the male. Petals with a fleshy gland at the base. Staminodes 

 6, filiform, in pairs opposite the sepals. Ovary ovoid, 6-celled ; styles 6, 

 short, connate at the base ; ovules many, inserted on the septa, orthotro- 

 pous. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent. Seeds few, ovoid, immersed in mucus, 

 testa lax papillose ; embryo ovoid. — Distrib. Europe, N. Asia. — Etym. 

 vdoup, viater, and x^P ls > elegance. 



H. Mor'sus-Ra'nse, L. ; leaves orbicular-reniform, flowers white. 



