OXAGRACEJE. •'» 1 



srECIESL— MYRIOPHYLLUM VERTICILL ATUM. 



Linn. 

 Plate DXIIL 



Leaves verticillate, commonly 5 in each whorl, loosely pectinate, 

 with the segments capillary, much longer than the internodes 

 between the crowded whorls. Flowers verticillate, usually 5 in 

 each whorl, each in the axil of a pectinated bract, which more or 

 less exceeds the flower in length ; spike erect in bud, generally 

 terminated by a crown or coma of empty bracts. Petals caducous. 

 Anthers oblong. Fruit sub-globose, not longer than broad before 

 the separation of the carpels, which are not ridged on the back. 



Var. a, gemiinum. 



M. verticillatum, D. C. Fl. Fr. Vol. IV. p. 417 ; Prod. Vol. III. p. 68. 



Bracts oblong-lanceolate, many times longer than the flowers, 

 and not much shorter than the leaves, remotely pectinate with the 

 pinnae rather short, filiform and distant. Stem flowering almost 

 to its base below the water or on mud. 



Var. 3, pectination. 



M. pectinaturo, B. C. Fl. Fr. Vol. V. p. 529 ; Prod. Vol. III. p. 68. 



Bracts scarcely longer than the flowers, and very much shorter 

 than the leaves, pectinate with pinnae very short, linear-strapshaped 

 and contiguous. Stem flowering only in the upper part and rising 

 out of the water. 



In ditches and ponds. Bather rare, though sparingly distributed 

 from Sussex to Northumberland. Apparently most common on 

 the east side of the island. Vars. a and about equally common 



England, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer. 



Bootstock creeping in the mud, and sending up floating stems, 

 varying according to the depth of the water. Leaves 1 to 2 inches 

 long, with the segments distant, hair-like, collapsing and soon wither- 

 ing when taken from the water ; the whorls placed very close toge- 

 ther. Flowering part of the stem or spike usually longer than the 

 leafy portion that is destitute of flowers, especially in the form 

 with elongated bracts. Whorls of flowers very numerous. Lower 

 flowers female, apetalous ; the upper ones perfect and male, with 

 greenish-yellow caducous boat-shaped petals, ^ inch long. Anthers 



