OG ENGLISH BOTANY, 



fibres. Peduncles axillary and tcnninal, rather sliort, stout, thickened 

 towards the apex in fruit. Sepals Avith their lamina rhonibic-orl)icular. 

 Fruitin2:-spike dense, oblong-cylindrical, many-flowered. Nuts green, 

 I'atlier large, acuminated, slightly compressed, nearly straight along 

 the upper margin, semicircular and 3-keeled on the back, terminated 

 by a short beak, forming a continuation of the upper margin. Plant 

 dull green or olive, retaining its colour when dried ; the floating leaves 

 liright green, or tinged %vith reddish. 



In pools and lakes. Local, but widely distributed, extending from 

 the south of England to Orkney and Shetland, though wanting in 

 many counties. Not unfrequent in Ireland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 



Stem 2 to 4 feet long, with very numerous rather short barren 

 branches below, and at length producing stolons from the axils of the 

 lower leaves. Submerged leaves widely channeled ; those of the main 

 stem 1 to 3 inches long, those of the branches generally much smaller. 

 Stipules sometimes with two of the ribs stronger than the other, but 

 quite as often with them all nearly equal. Eloating leaves 1 to 2^ 

 inches long, very similar to those of P. polygonifolius, but rather more 

 coriaceous, and quite flat before they have attained their full size, 

 while in P. polygonifolius they remain rolled up into a funnel until 

 they are almost full groAvn : in some localities, however, floating leaves 

 are never produced. Peduncles 1 to 3 inches long, tliick, and enlarged 

 at the apex below the spike — greatly so when in fruit. Fruit spikes 

 f to 1^- inch long. Fruit about } inch long. 



Various-leaved Pondweed. 



German, Grasartijes Samlcraut. 



SPECIES rx.— POTAMOGETON NITENS. Wei. 



Plate MCCCCVIL 



-Reich. Ic. n. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VH. Tab. XXXIV. Figs. CO to 62. 

 D. Moore, in Seemann's Journ. Bot. 18G4, p. 325. 



Stems rather slender, sparingly branched, the lower branches barren. 

 Leaves almost all alternate and submerged, sessile and semi- 

 amplexicaul, spreading-recurved, more or less folded longitudinally, 

 short, oblong-lanceolate or strapshaped-lanceolate, rounded at the base, 

 acute, more or less undulated but not serrate at the margins, trans- 

 lucent, with 7 to 15 longitudmal ribs connected by numerous transverse 

 veins, with a narrow band of very elongate arcolations along the sides 

 of the midrib; upper leaves (in the British plant) translucent, opposite, 

 submerged and similar to the lower leaves or oblauceolate, often much 



