24 LACIS CERATOPHYLLA. 
favoured with copious specimens both dried 
and preserved in alcohol: from the former 
BotanistI have an excellent figure, and from 
the latter a full and accurate description 
made from recent specimens, from whic 
the annexed plate and the following history 
are mainly taken 
Root consisting of fleshy processes at 
` the lower part of the plant, which adhere 
closely to the stones on which. the plant 
grows, somewhat after the manner of the 
roots of Ampelopsis hederacea on Bigno- 
nia radicans. Stems roundish, - 
fleshy, and somewhat coriaceous, running 
over the surface of the pebbles, A closely 
adhering to them by means of the small 
fleshy processes just described, which are 
frequently thrown out from the stem, espe- 
cially where it ramifies. Branches nume- 
rous, and where the stem adheres to the 
pebbles, the branches are nearly at right 
angles with it, opposite or alternate. The 
creeping stems frequently extend beyond 
the stone on which the plant originated, 
and attach themselves to other small peb- 
bles around; so that if you pick up the 
principal pebble, the stems, or their rami- 
fications, will bring up a number of small 
pebbles hanging to them. Before flower- 
ing, and particularly where the water is 
several inches deep, a number of branches 
are sent up, from one to three inches long. 
The /eaves, in regard to texture and gene- 
ral appearance, would seem to be a prolon- 
gation of the stem, being almost equally 
coriaceous, half an inch to nearly an inch 
in length, the lower half forming a kind of 
_ petiole, with a sheathing membranous 
process at the base, which partly embraces 
the stem, and the base of flowers: the 
upper half is divided in a somewhat dicho- 
tomous manner, two or three times, into 
linear, rather acute, flat or slightly furrowed 
segments, bearing a resemblance to some 
branched Cenomyce, or the antlers of a 
buck : but in drying, these segments shrink 
and become almost setaceous, from which 
state of the plant Michaux’s figure seems 
ta 
' to have been taken. The flowers emerge ie 
from the axils of the leaves (which are 
more crowded above) and the peduncles 
of the flower-buds are embraced by the 
short, fleshy sheathing process on the base 
of the petioles. Spatha obovate, coriaceo- 
membranaceous, formed of one piece rup- 
tured by the protrusion of the flower from — 
within, or rather of the stamens which - 
seem to be the first protruded; and this | 
rupture is often effected by carrying Me | 
a portion of the apex, according to Dr. | 
Darlington’s observations. This spatha 1 
contains what is usually considered a sin- | 
gle flower, but which I am rather led to . 
consider as two, a male and female, at the 
extremity of a peduncle so short as to be 
mostly included within the ruptured spa- - 
tha (f. 4). In a young state, before the | 
expansion of the ,flowers, the anthers are 
close pressed against the germen, and 
lodged just beneath the incurved stigmas. 
Stamens two, ( occasionally three, Dr. 
Darlington) ; arising from the base of the 
germen: the filaments combined more than 
half way up, or monadelphous. Anthers 
one on each side, are two subulate appen- 
dages, shorter than the real filament. Pis- - " 
til solitary, sessile, oval, dark green, marked. 
with elevated purple lines. Stigmas two, — 
sessile, fleshy, lanceolato-subulate. Cap- . 
sule oval, striated, two-celled, two-valved, { 
bearing numerous seeds upon a central a 
receptacle. ] 
Dr. Darlington further observes, that] 3 
this plant flourishes best, and bears most 
fruit when growing in shallow water, so as 
to be situated near the surface, and eve 
exposed when the streams are low. In 
removing specimens into à tin box, when 
they have been near flowering, he has found | 
that the stamens would burst forth in a few - 
hours: whereas, if left under water, the — 
flowers would remain stationary, with the 
stamens included in the spatha for a num- 
ber of days. 
Tas. XX. Fig. 1. Pebble to _ "rw of La- . 
cis s ceralophylla, nat. size, are at tac ue oF P 
ji 
the spatha. 6. Capsule burstin i T. 
section of psi cs inis Cpezht: :—-all bet fg. 1 
magnified. 
