LOPHIOCARPUS . ALISMACEJE (AUCT. M. MICHELI). 63 
secundum aque altitudinem longitudine variabiles, intus transverse 
septati; limbi late ovati, basi profunde cordati, lobis plus minusve 
acutis, apice obtusi, rotundati vel leviter emarginati, 3-5 cent. lonei, 
4-6 cent. lati, nervis primariis 11-13 vix prominulis, a basi secedenti- 
bus, vasis lactiferis superne præclare reticulatis, inferne minus con- 
spicuis; folia exteriora nonnunquam submersa, limbo abortivo lan- 
ceolata (phyllodia). Scapi erecti vel flexuoso-procumbentes, verticillis 
inferioribus (2-3) ssepius bi-floris, floribus hermaphroditis, superiori- 
bus tri-floris, floribus nunc hermaphroditis, nune 2 3, 1 d; nonnun- 
quam ad apicem, verticillus supremus, incompletus, ex flore unico, 
masculo, constat. Bracteæ ad basin verticillorum 3, late ovatze, obtuse, 
concave, multicostatæ, 10 mill. longæ, fere a basi liberæ. Flores 2, 
pedicellis bracteas paullo superantibus, post anthesin recurvis. Sepala 
late ovata, obtusa, plana, post anthesin erecta et fructum arcte am- 
plectentia; petala fugaeia, cuneata, paullo longiora. Stamina 9-12 
filamentis complanatis, superne subulatis, tenuiter glandulosis, anthe- 
ras elongatas, basi plus minusve sagittatas superantibus. Ovaria stylo 
crasso oblique aristata. Carpella numerosissima (3-400 fid. Roxburgh), 
valde compressa, dorso et ventre late marginata et profunde dentata, 
lateraliter costata et ibidem rarius quoque dentata, glandulis desti- 
tuta, stylo marginem vix superante. Semina leviter rugosa. In flori- 
bus $, perianthium ut in 2 ; stamina pauciora, 6-10; ovaria abortiva 
hyalina. j 
Species area geographica valde.extensa gaudens ; reperitur quidem 
in aquis stagnantibus Americæ, Asiæ, Africæque tropicalis; in tota 
area insigniter consimilis; varietates vix distingui possunt. In speci- 
minibus americanis et præcipue brasiliensibus, flores masculi rario- 
res, Carpella minora, magis ad costas laterales dentata ; in specimini- 
bus asiaticis africanisque, carpella magis complanata, ad marginem 
valde, ad costas autem vix dentata; in ins. Madagascar, plantæ edi- 
tiores cum carpellis margine tantum sinuatis; specimina in hac 
regione a cl. Bernier lecta et omnia plus minusve incompleta (in 
herb. Mus. Par. et Francav.) forte differunt; habitu floris tamen. 
L. guyanensi valde affinia videntur. 
1° In America tropicali copiose : in paludibus prope Mexico (Schiede 
in herb. Berol.), prope Vera-Cruz’ (Sartorius in herb. Vindob.); in 
Guyana (Humbold et Bonpland, Hostmann n. 870 in herb. Kew et 
Derol., Sagot n. 547 in herb. Brit. Mus. Wullschlægel in herb. Brux.), 
in Panama (Seemann n. 186, Hayes n. 414 in herb. Kew), Venezuela 
(Ottoin herb. Berol., Grosourdy in herb. Mus. Par.), Ecuador (Spruce 
