Sagittaria.] ALISMACE/E. 271 



ORD. 78. ALISMACE^E. Br. Water-Plantain Family. 



Perianth of six divisions, in two rows ; outer herbaceous ; 

 inner petaloid. Stamens definite or indefinite. Ovaries free, 

 many, 1-celled ; ovules erect or ascending, solitary, or two, at- 

 tached to the suture, at a distance from each other : styles and 

 stigmas as many as there are ovaries. Seed without albumen. 

 Embryo shaped like a horse -shoe, with its radicle next the hi- 

 lum. Aquatic or .floating herbaceous plants. Leaves with pa- 

 rallel veins. 



1. ALISMA. Linn. Water-Plantain. 



Calyx of three leaves. Petals three. Capsules many, clus- 

 tered, distinct, indehiscent, one-seeded. Embryo much 

 curved. Name from alis, water, in Celtic. The genus is 

 altogether aquatic. Hexandria. Polygynia. 



1. A. PlantagO) Linn. Greater Wafer- Plantain. Leaves 

 ovate, acute ; fruit depressed ; capsules obtusely trigonal. Br. 

 Fl. 1. p. 172. E. Fl. v. ii. p. 203. E. Bot. t. 837. 



Near the margins of lakes, rivers and ditches, frequent. Fl. July. 

 1. Two to three feet high. Leaves all radical, on long stalks. 

 Scape branched upward ; branches all whorled, bracteated, com- 

 pound. Flowers of a pale rose-colour. Embryo curved. 



2. A. nafans, Linn. Floating Water- Plantain. Leaves el- 

 liptical, obtuse ; stem floating and rooting ; peduncles simple. 

 Br. Fl. I. p. 173. E. Fl. v. ii. p. 204. E. Bot. t. 775. 



Lakes and ditches. Very plentiful in Cunnamara, and the large 

 marsh on the Hill of Howth. County of Down ; Mr. Templeton. 

 FL July, Aug. 1. At the base of the plant are long linear-lanceolate, 

 membranous scales, or abortive root-leaves. Stem-leaves floating, on 

 long stalks, scarcely nerved. 



3. A. rammculoides, Linn. Lesser Water-Plantain. Leaves 

 all radical, linear-lanceolate ; scape umbellate ; fruit globose, 

 squarrose ; capsules acute. Br. Fl. 1. p. 173. E. FL v. ii. 

 p. 205. E. Hot. t. 326. 



j3. With creeping runners. A. repens, " Davies Welsh Bet. 

 36." E. Fl.v. \\.p. 205. 



Ditches and turfy bogs, frequent. |3. In ditches at the Murrovv of 

 Wicklow. FL Aug. Sept. %. Flower-stalks radical, erect, three to 

 ten inches high, bearing one or two whorls of light-purple flowers. 

 Capsules numerous, collected into a globular head, obovate, com- 

 pressed, pointed, with five strong ribs. 



2. SAGITTARIA. Linn. Arrow-head. 

 Barren fl. Calyx 3-leaved. Petals three. Slameiis numer- 



