L YTHRARIA CE JE. 443 



Rhyacophila l differs very little from Ammannia. The flower is 

 tetramerous and tetrandrous, with four petals, inserted in the hollows 

 between the sepals. In B. repens, 2 an Abyssinian species, the petals 

 are small, and the dimerous gynœcium, analogous to that of 

 Ammannia, is surrounded by a very small annular disk, with very 

 slightly marked lobes. In the Indian species, B. Wallichii, of which 

 the genus Hydrolythrum 5 has been made, the petals are larger, ex- 

 serted, and the lobes of the hypogynous disk, eight in number, are 

 much more distinct. These differences, otherwise of little importance, 

 serve to distinguish two sections in this genus, which is composed 

 of aquatic herbs, like Myriophyllum, which they resemble in habit, 

 submerged, verticillate, linear leaves, with flowers in terminal 

 clusters, and accompanied each by two lateral bracteoles which may 

 be more or less raised on their pedicel. 



Adanson* clearly pointed out, in 1763, in what respects the 

 Salicaria family resembled the Myrtle, differing from it in the 

 situation of the gymecium. He even placed in it Bœckea, of the 

 Mijrtaceœ. A. L. de Jussieu 5 republished the family nearly as 

 Adanson conceived it, adding Acisanthera, of the Melastomaceœ, 

 and Glaux, of the Primulaceœ. Later 6 he substituted for the name 

 SnUcariœ 7 that of Lythrarieœ. 8 A. P. de Candolle 9 included in it 

 twenty-seven genera, of which only thirteen are now retained as 

 distinct. Lindlet 1o first gave the name Lythracece. Bentham and 

 Hookek, 11 resuming the name Lythrarieœ, admit thirty genera in 

 this group, four of which are abnormal, viz. Pimica, which we have 

 restored to the Myrtaceœ ; l3 Axinandra, which we consider rather 



(Sapalocarpum). — IIiern, Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr. Ind. ii. 571. 



ii. 466 [Rotala), 476.— Benth. Fl. Austral, iii. * Fam. des PI. ii. 232, Fam. 31. 



295.— A. Gray, Man. ed. 5, 182.— Boiss. Fl. Or. 6 Gen. (1789) 330, Ord. 9. 



ii. 742.— Given, et Godr. Fl. de Fr. i. 597 {Pep- 6 Diet. Sc. Nat. xxvii. 453. 



lit). — Walp. Sep. ii. 101, 916; Ann. i. 294 1Calycanthem.ee Vent. 1'abl. iii. 298. — Serfica- 



(Peplis) ; ii. 538 ; iv. 685 [Cnjptotheca, Pcplis), rinœ Link, Enian. i. 142. 



686 (Ameletia). 8 Endl. Gen. 1198, Ord. 267. 



1 Hochst. Flora (1841) 659. — Quartinia Eni>i.. 9 Mem. Soc. d'Hist. Nat. Genève, iii. p. ii. 65 ; 



Gen. Suppl. ii. (1842) 94.— B. H. Gen. 777, n. 5. Prodr. iii. 75, Ord. 74 (1828). 



- Hochst. Inc. cit.— Hiern, Oliv. Fl. Trup.Afr. '° Introd. ed. 2, 100 ; Veg. Kingd. (1846) 574, 



ii. 470. — Quartinia turfosa A. Eich. Fl. Abyss. Ord. 918. 



Tent. i. 277, t. 51.— Q. repens, Endl.— Walp. " Gen. 773, 1007, Ord. 69. 



Ann. v. 673. '2 See pp. 333, 337, 338, 381. The ovary is 



3 IIook. F. B. H. Gen. 777, n. 4. — Hook.. Fl. not free at the bottom of the receptacle. 



