32 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



upper leaves are submernjed and pellucid, and similar to the lower 

 ones in shape and texture, or of some intermediate form between this 

 and that previously described. Stipules very lon;]^, blunt, not winged 

 on the back, scarious, with numerous fibres. Peduncles axillary, long, 

 rather slender, not enlarged towards the apex. Fruit unknown. Plant 

 (when dried) dull green ; the floating leaves tinged with rcddish- 

 hrovm. 



Found by Mr. Thomas Kirk in the Ballinabrack river at Ma'am, co. 

 Galway. 



Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 



A very puzzling plant, differing from any desci'ibed species, though 

 I have some suspicion that it may be a very luxuriant abnormal form 

 of P. polygonifolius, growing in deep running Avater, but, unfortu- 

 nately, I have not been able to examine fresh specimens : the chief 

 difficulty of combining it with P. polygonifolius exists in the branching 

 of the stem which connects it with the hetcrophyllus group. The 

 large stipules indicate an affinity with P. natans, but they have the 

 fibres less numerous and not so strong, and the ajiex much less acute ; 

 the floating leaves are 2 to 4 inches long, and very closely resemble 

 tliose of P. polygonifolius, var. pseudo-fluitnns, but the submerged leaves 

 are much longer, often 1 foot or more by I to ij inch broad, with more 

 closer longitudinal and no apparent petiole, and are not narrowed at 

 the base into an evident petiole. I have seen but one specimen in 

 flower which is in Mr. Borrer's herbarium; the peduncle and spike 

 closely resemble that of P. polygonifolius, var. pseudo-fluitans. 



Professor Babington refers this to P. sparganiifolius of Liistadius and 

 Fries, but I have compared it with authentic specimens of this plant 

 from both these botanists in the Kew Herbarium, and cannot agree 

 with his conclusion. The stem of the true P. sparganiifolius is, 

 as described by Fries, perfectly simple, and tlie leaves bright grass 

 green when dried : these specimens are without floating leaves, so I 

 cannot compare them with those of the Irisli plant ; but Fries says 

 that floating leaves, though sometimes deficient, are however neces- 

 sar)', as the plant, when destitute of them, is always sterile. The 

 flowering specimen of the Galway plant in Mr. Borrer's herbarium is 

 destitute of floating leaves. 



I have seen too little of the Irish plant to venture to affirm it to 

 be specifically distinct from P. poh'gonifolius, so tliat, though convinced 

 it is not the P. sparganiifolius of Jjistadius, I keep it under this name 

 for the present, though much tempted to designate it P. Kirkii, after 

 its discoverer. 



Eibbon-leaved Pondweed. 



