alismacejE. 73 



above 2 or 3, and often they are solitary. It is now generally con- 

 sidered a mere variet}', but it would be desirable to raise it from seed 

 to make it certain that its peculiarities are not constant. 



Lesser Water-Plantain. 



French, Flutcau renoncle. German, Halinenfussarilger Froschloffel. 



SPECIES III.-ALISmA NATANS. Linn. 

 Plate MCCCCXLI. 

 Beich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VII. Tab. LIV. Figs. 95 and 96. 



Radical leaves reduced to linear attenuated translucent phyllodia, 

 very rarely stalked, with an oval subcarious lamina ; leaves near the 

 extremity of the scape (or rather stem), stalked, elliptical or oval 

 or oblong-elliptical, wedgeshaped at the base, obtuse, floating, sub- 

 coriaceous, 3-ribbed. Stem filiform, submerged, commonly rooting at 

 the nodes, the lower nodes with narrow leaves resembling the radical 

 ones ; the upper part racemose, with solitary or opposite (rarely whorled) 

 pedicels, and a terminal umbel of about 3 flowers. Flowers very few. 

 Achenes in few rows in a globular head on a subglobular receptacle, 

 obovate-oblong-fusiform, abruptly acuminated at the apex into a short 

 beak, with 12 to 15 slender ribs. 



In lakes. Rare. It has been reported from the counties of 

 Worcester, Salop, Hereford, Glamorgan, Merioneth, Carnarvon, 

 Anglesea, York, Cumberland, and Wigton; of which Shropshire, the 

 AVelsh counties, and York are the only ones which have been recently 

 verified. Rare and local in Ireland, and confined to the west of the 

 island. 



England, Scotland ( ?), Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer, 

 Autumn. 



Radical leaves submerged, 1^ to 8 inches long, tapering gradually 

 from the base to the apex, rarely, when the plant grows on mud, 

 stalked, with the lamina subcoriaceous and oval. Stem (which is 

 evidently the representative of the scape of A. ranunculoides) floating, 

 varying from 3 inches to 2 feet according to the depth of the water, 

 with roots and leaves at the nodes as in A. ranunculoides var. repens; 

 the upper leaves almost always floating, oval, elliptical or oblong, ^ 

 to 1 inch long, resembling in texture those of Potamogeton polygoui- 

 folius, the lateral ribs close to the margin. Pedicels solitary or 2 

 (rarely 3) from each node, the terminal umbel 3- rarely 5-flowered. 

 Peduncles at length 1 to 3 inches long. Flowers about ^ inch across, 

 resembling those of A. ranunculoides, white with a yellow eye. 

 Carpels 6 to 15, in a smaller and laxer head than in A. ranunculoides, 



VOL. IX. L 



