34 POLYANDRIA— PENTAGYNIA. Stratiotes. 



and twice as long, obovate, concave, slightly spreading. 

 Filam. about 20 or fewer, shorter than the segments of 

 the calyx, and proceeding from its tube. Anth. vertical, 

 awl-shaped. Germ, inferior, elliptical, obtusely triangu- 

 lar. Styles 6, deeply cloven, full as long as the stamens. 

 Stigmas simple. Berry coated, oval, with 6 or more 

 cells, and as many angles, tapering at each end. Seeds 

 numerous, obovate, in 2 rows. 

 Aquatic herbs, with radical, ribbed, simple, serrated or en- 

 tire leaves, and white j^owers, on radical stalks. Each 

 Jlotsoer is accompanied by a permanent sheath, or hractea, 

 of a single leaf, variously divided, which is not wanted to 

 strengthen the generic character, and indeed does not be- 

 long to the parts of fructification. There are some In- 

 dian species with fewer stamens than ours, which is the 

 type of the genus. 



1. S. aloides. Water Aloe, or Water-soldier. 



Leaves sword-shaped, channelled, with a prominent rib, 

 and sharp marginal prickles. 



S. aloides. Linn. Sp. Pl.754. Willd. v. 4. 820. Fl. Br. 579. Engl. 



Bot.v. 6. <.379. Hook. Scot. 171. Mill. Illustr. t. 50. Fl. Dan. 



t.337. 

 S. foliis aloes, semine longo. Rail Syn. 290. 

 S. aquaticus. Dalech. Hist. 1061./. 

 Militaris aizoides. Ger. Em. 825. f. Lob. Ic.375.f. 

 Aloe sive Aizoon palustre. Bauh. Hist. v. 3. 778./. 

 Water Aloe. Pet. H. Brit t.7\.f.5. 



In deep fen ditches and pools. 



Plentiful in the isle of Ely, and in the marshy parts of Lincoln- 

 .shire and Norfolk. Also, according to Withering, in Cheshire 

 and Yorkshire. 



Perennial. July. 



A stoloniferous, smooth, floating herb, with numerous radical 

 leaves, and a solitary central ^otrer-sm/Zc, no stem. The parent 

 plant sinks to the bottom after flowering, and sends out long 

 simple runners, each terminating in a leaf-bud, or young plant, 

 which first takes root in the mud, by several long fibres, and in 

 the following summer rises to the surface of the water, blossoms, 

 and then again subsides to ripen its seeds, and throw out fresh 

 runners, each tuft of leaves flowering but once. The leaves are 

 a span long or more, acute, highly vascular, fringed with very 

 sharp saw-like teeth. Flowers white, large and handsome, the 

 stalk firm, stout, two-edged, much shorter than the leaves. The 

 anthers are occasionally imperfect in one flower, the stigmas in 

 another, whence some curious but superficial observers have 



