112 ENGLISH BOTANY, 



SPECIES II.— ELATINE HYDROPIPER. Linn. 

 Plate CCLXTII. 

 " E. Sclikuriana, Drev. & Ilayne, Tab. LXXI. Fig. 4," teste Koch. 



Stem prostrate, creeping. Leaves opposite, with the laminoB 

 equal to or shorter than the petiole. Flowers alternate, axillary, 

 sessile. Sepals 4, shorter than the petals, and ahout equal to the 

 capsule. Petals 4. Stamens 8. Seeds pendulous, hooked. 



On mud at the hottom of ponds. Very rare. Near Farnham, 

 Surrey ; and Llyn-Corou; Anglesea (in both which places it grows 

 with E. hexandra) ; Lagan canal, co. Antrim. 



England, Ireland. Annual. Autumn, 



This plant greatly resembles E. hexandra, but is generally a 

 little larger and stouter in all its parts. The leaves have longer 

 stalks, and are more abruptly narrowed into them ; the sepals arc 

 narrower, the flowers sessile (or nearly so) ; but the most remark- 

 able difference is in the seeds, which are sharply curved round a 

 little more than half-way towards the tip, so as to resemble a horse- 

 shoe with one side longer than the otlier. The flowers are said to 

 be rose-colour ; but I have not seen them in a recent state. The 

 seeds, instead of ascending from the base of the placentas, hang 

 down from their apex, 



Octandrous Watervcort. 



Freucli, £laline Foiwe cTHau. German, Pfpfferfrikhlirjer Siinnel. 



OEDEU XVI.— H YPERICACEJE. 



Perennial herbs, shrubs, or rarely trees, with the leaves gene- 

 rally opposite and entire, sessile or very shortly stalked, frequently 

 marked with pellucid dots. Stipules none. EloAvers nearly regu- 

 lar, perfect, yellow, or more rarely white, commonly in corymbose 

 cymes, or not unfrequently disposed in panicles. Sepals 5 (rarely 

 4), imbricated, persistent. Petals as many as tlie sepals, hypo- 

 gynous, aestivation usually imbricated, twisted. Stamens hypo- 

 gynous, generally polyadelphous, united into 3 or 5 bundles. 

 Anthers versatile, 2-celled. Ovary free, consisting of 3 to 5 carpels 

 and as many cells, more rarely l-ccUed, or very rarely reduced to 



