FLORA. CAPEN STS: 
Orper CXXXVIII. PONTEDERIACEZ, 
(By N. E. Brown.) 
Flowers hermaphrodite, all alike or some cleistogamous, regular or 
slightly irregular. Perianth inferior, petaloid ; segments , biseriate, 
united into a tube in the lower part, rarely free, equal or the outer 
series smaller. Stamens 3 or 6, rarely 1, usually of two sizes and 
often of different colours ; seis free; anthers basifixed or dorsi- - 
fixed, 2-celled, introrse, opening by longitudinal slits, or rarely by 
filiform ; oreo bese thickened or subeapitate, or shortly 3-lobed ; 
ovules numer _ biseriate in each cell, or rarely solitary, 
anatropous. Frui a many-seeded capsule, or rarely a 1-seeded 
achene. Seeds inl ovoid, ribbe ore oykiiastak straight, 
embedded in the centre of a copious album 
uatic or marsh herbs, with the lod part of the stem or rhizome creeping . 
and rooting in the mud, or entirely floa ing s leaves alternate, hastate, cordate, 
sebibilay, ovate, lanceola’ te e or linear, sane ually with a mae petio e, the 
submersed lea sometimes without blades, or different in form comp aes 
terminal, dither’ fascicled in the death of the awed leat a spicat e, with t 
— solitary or fascicled along the axis of the spike, rarely ros ea 
axillary, 
DistR1B. is po uct 22, chiefly wcesegp bd Bh 3 Africa and ve 
America, about 4 occurring in No rth Am in Tropical and Tem 
Asia, and 1 i b ANsteall x psig 8 one siached ohh yet die found within ‘the 
confines of the ‘South African Flora. 
I, HETERANTHERA, Ruiz. & Pav. 
Perianth with a distinct tube; segments equal, spreading, one: 
Stamens 3, affixed to the throat of the perianth-tube, exserted, m 
or less unequal; filaments filiform; anthers oblong. Ovary icelled 
with 3 parietal placentas, or imperfectly 3-celled with very prominent 
placentas ; style filiform; stigma thickened ; ovules numerous, bi- 
seriate, Ci apsule oblong or linear, with a thin periearp. Seeds 
numerous, ovoid, ribbed. 
Lower part of the stem creeping and rooting in the mud ; Peach with long 
ce gaa cshealiing at the base, and err oe - reniform Nes , or all linear 
3 flowering-shoots leaf, whose sheath embraces the 
emo s, spathe which subtends the terminal ower spike includes sites 
flowers ; flowers ers spicate te, small, , bine, whitish, or yellow, all alike an 
one ee ee es cient tas let hee WO 
- spike, 
ee ee teen et hee ee ee ee 
ee oe heaton: 
