CLASS XV. ORDER I.J SUBULAKIA. y95 



those warm countries the labour is frequently over before the plant is 

 fully expanded. From this circurastance it is called KaJ Maryam, 

 that is, Mary's hand, but more commonly called Holy-rose. After the 

 plant has been thus expanded by moisture, it again resumes its former 

 shape upon drying, and the operation may be repealed again and 

 again even affer it has been dried for years ; hence it has had given 

 the generic name oi Anastalica, derived from avacrrao-jj, resurrection. 

 Such a high value is placed upon these plants in Jerusalem, and some 

 other of the cities of Palestine, that a friend who has several times 

 visited them informs us that he can barter with them for almost any 

 valuable articles, and that a present of one of these " Roses" to 

 the women, will obtain their aid and assistance to procur all that is in 

 their power to add to the comfort of travellers. 



GENUS XV. SUBULA'RIA.— Linn. Awl-worl. 



Nat. Ord. CuuciF'sRiE. Juss, 



Gen. Char. Silicida oval, pointless, with turgid valves. Seeds 

 numerous. Cotyledons linear, biplicate. — (c Fig. 5, p. 872.) — 

 /SVi^wia sessile. — Name from subuta, an awl; on account of the 

 awl shape of the leaves. 



I. S. aquat'ica, Linn. (Fig. 1034 ) Aivl-wort. 



English Botany, t. 732. — English Flora, vol. iii. p. 157. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 249. — Lindley, Synopsis, Suppl. p. 319. 



Boot of numerous long white simple fibres, penetrating the mud. 

 Leaves all radical, quite smooth, awl-shaped, spreading, from one to 

 three inches long. Scape simple, round, slender, smooth, erect, from 

 two to four inches high, bearing at the top a racemose cluster of a few 

 while (lowers. Calyx of four equal ovate concave pale green pieces. 

 Corolla of four small ovate white petals. Stamens with sim^\Q fila- 

 ments and ovate yellow anthers, of two cells. Fruit an ovate obtuse 

 silicula, with somewhat convex valves, smooth, two celled, each con- 

 taining several small flat ovate dark brown seeds, the cotyledons with 

 long twice curved lobes, and the curvature taking place above the 

 cotyledons. 



Habitat. — Shallow margins of alpine lakes ; common. 



Perennial ; flowering in July. 



This little water plant, the only known species of the genus, is re- 

 markable, as expanding its flowers often several feet below the surface 

 of the water, and there performing its functions and fertilizing its 

 seeds, a circumstance very unusual in aquatic plants, as generally they 

 are in some way or other furnished with the means of elevating theii 

 flowers above the surface of the water, there to expand for the 

 purpose of fecundation, as in the Utrictilaria, vol. 1, Nymphcea, 



