20 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
down. Peduncles gradually tapering upwards, rather longer than 
the leaves. Petals contiguous. Nectary “ ovate-oblong.” Stigma 
club-shaped. Receptacle “ ovate.” 
Var. 6. floribundus. 
Puate XVIII. 
R. floribundus, Lab. Ann. Nat, Hist. ser. ii, Vol. XVI. p. 397; and Man. Brit. Bot. 
ed. v. p. /- 
Submerged leaves closely trifurcate. Floating leaves divided 
into 3 lobes, the sinus between the lobes extending more than half 
way down. Peduncles not narrowing upwards, about equal to 
the leaves. Petals ‘‘not contiguous.” Nectary “nearly cireular.” 
Stigma “tongue-shaped.” Receptacle ‘ spherical.” 
P Var. y. pseudo-fluitans. 
R. pseudo - fluitans, Mewbould MS. 
Submerged leaves tassel-like, with the segments very long and 
rather weak, collapsing. Floating leaves very rarely present, re- 
sembling those of var. a, or 8.  Peduneles slightly narrowing 
upwards, equal to, or exceeding, the leaves from which they spring. 
Nectary short, the opening roundish. Receptacle spherical. 
Ponds, ditches, and rivers. Generally distributed, and common 
throughout the kingdom; « and 6 growing in still, and y in running 
water. ‘ 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring to Autumn. 
Stem branched, floating, the extremity frequently rising out of 
the water. Stipules broad, membranous, whitish, with free rounded 
auricles. Peduncles rather slender, arched after flowering. Petals 
much larger than in any of the other sub-species, white, yellow at 
the base. Carpels ovoid, compressed, with the inner edge nearly 
straight, the lower edge unequally curved, so that the achene is 
narrow at the base and gibbous towards the tip, with prominent 
transverse-waved ridges ; in 2 to 5 rows on the shortly ovoid, hispid 
receptacle. 
This sub-species seems to be the most generally distributed of 
all those which are here put under R. aquatilis. It is distinguished 
from R. heterophyllus by its larger flowers, more slender peduncles, 
and by the floating leaves, which have the basal margins rounded, 
as well as the edges of the lobes, which are furnished with deep 
rounded crenatures at the apex. 
When this plant grows out of the water, the stems are much 
shorter, and produce leaves which are all divided into short, rigid, 
