TETRANDRIA TETRAGYNIA. Potamogeton. 43 



Stems numerous, spreading, or prostrate, leafy. Ls. alternate, 

 plain, stalks short. FL tufted, axillary, hairy, green, inconspi- 

 cuous, from the side of the stems. Cal. urn-shaped. Stam. 

 sometimes only one. 

 Altogether smaller than Alch. vulgaris. Formerly esteemed 



diuretic. 



TETRANDRIA TETRA' GYNIA. 



ILEX. Holly.' 



I. AqiiifSlium.^ Common H, (In Norfolk, Christmas.) 

 Leaves egg-shaped, acute, thorny and wavy. Flowers 

 axillary, somewhat cymose. E. B. 496. Agrifolium. 



G. E. 1338. 



Hedges, hushy places. Shotover Hill. Sb. 

 Tree. April. 



Ls. alternate, shining. FL white. Berry scarlet, rarely yellow. 

 Upper Ls. entire : 



" But as they grow -n-heve nothing is to fear. 



Smooth and unarmed the pointless leaves appear. — Southey. 



Branches of this with its ripe berries, mixed with the misseltoe, 

 and spindle-tree, (Euonymus) to ornament churches and houses 

 at Christmas ; a supposed relic of Druidism, to aiford a shade for 

 the abode of sylvan spirits in the cheerless winter, yars. wdth 

 variegated Ls. very numerous. Sheep and deer fed with the 

 branches in winter. Birdlime from the fermented bark, washed 

 from the woody fibre. Plant an impenetrable fence, very hardy, 

 with its berries. Wood for veneering, handles of knives, cogs for 

 mill-wheels, stained black to imitate ebony : flourishes vmder the 

 shade of trees. 



POTAMOGETON. ' Pond-weed. 



Four British species found in New Holland. 



P. natans. Broad-leaved Floating P. Upper leaves 

 oblong-egg-shaped, stalked, floating, leathery ; lower 

 ones linear, membranous, stalkless. E. B. 1822. P. 

 latifolium. G. E. 821. 



Pools, ditches, sloiv rivers. 

 Per. July. 



Stem immersed, round, leafy. Stip. large, spear-shaped, concave, 

 acute, FL stalks as large as the stem, solitary, axillary, (with a 



' Holega. Sax. ' Perhaps for acui/o/ium, sharp-leaved. 



3 Gr, Potamos, a river, and geiton, a neighbour. 



