THE WATER PLANTAIN TRIBE. 207 



the pistils. As the Water Plantain is the commoner 

 of the two, let us look at it. 



It has oblong, heart-shaped, pointed leaves, marked 

 with about seven ribs, connected by transverse, oblique, 

 forkino- and branchino- veins. The flowers are arranged 

 in a loose, whorled, branching panicle {Plate XLIX. 

 Jig. 1.), at the base of each of whose whorls stand a 

 few brown or green ovate bracts. The flowers CJig. 

 2.) have a calyx of three, green, permanent, blunt, 

 parallel-veined sepals, and three delicate pink, or 

 white, roundish, toothed petals. 



There are six stamens placed in a very unusual 

 manner, two opposite each sepal (fig. 3.) ; so that in 

 this part of the fructification, Alisma is in a state that 

 cannot be reconciled with the laws of structure before 

 laid down. Upon a more minute examination, how- 

 ever, you will find a small round gland (fig. 3. a.) 

 at the base of each sepal, and between each pair of 

 stamens ; this is obviously a rudimentary stamen, 

 the number of which is thus increased to nine. But 

 still the three stamens that ought to be placed 

 opposite the petals are absent ; and they must be 

 considered altogether wanting ; the six perfect stamens 

 will belong to two succeeding whorls ; so that, in reality, 

 the flower of Alisma, although containing six stamens, 

 or two whorls only, must be considered to be constructed 

 upon a plan of twelve stamens in four whorls, of which 

 the outer is rudimentary, the second deficient, and 

 the two others consolidated into a single whorl ; or 

 the scheme of suppression of parts will be expressed 

 thus : — 



