248 Plants Collected in Paraguay. 



Xaiitliosoma Riedelianuiii^ Schott., (Est. Bot. Zeit., 1865, p. 33. Kx 

 descr. 



Liique (294). December. 



Named by N. E. Brown. 



A large showy bog plant 6-9 dm. high. Leaves light green, the 

 blades somewhat panduriform and sagittate, 4-5 dm. long and 1-2 

 dm. broad, obtusely pointed, the basal lobes about ^ as long as the 

 leaf and rounded, the sinus usually broad ; primary lateral nerves 

 5-7, curving into a common marginal nerve, which runs at unequal 

 distances from the margin. Petiole rounded below and flat above, 

 much longer than the bla^e. Flowers solitary, on scapes shorter 

 than the leaves; spathe 25 cm. long, the lower part greenish and 

 convolute, the upper half spreading open and pure white ; spadix 

 one-half or two-thirds as long as the spathe, the pistillate flowers 

 at the base, occupying about one-quarter of the length, the perfect 

 staminate flowers at the apex, and a space of abortive staminate 

 flowers between the two. The flowers reminded me of our common 

 house Calla when I first looked at them, though not spreading open 

 so widely, and the spadix being slate-colored instead of golden. In 

 miry bogs or water at Luque. 



LEMNACEJE. 

 L.emna minor, L., Sp. PL, 970. 



Pools in the vicinity of Asuncion (1558). 



ALISMACEJE. 

 Sagittaria MonteTidensis, C. and S., Linnsea, ii, 156. 



Asuncion (177). November-January. 



The common Sagittaria of southern South America. It resem- 

 bles our S. sagittaefolia in habit and aspect, but is at once distin- 

 guished by the deep purple spot at the base of the flower inside. 

 The leaves are almost as variable as those of our species, but are 

 sometimes enormously large. I met with specimens 1-lJ.m. high, 

 having leaves 6 dm. or more in length and as broad at the base. 

 The spikes are sometimes 5 dm. long, bearing 12-15 verticils of 

 flowers. Pistillate flowers in 2 or 3 verticils at the base of the 

 spike, with shorter and much thicker peduncles than the staminate, 

 recurved in fruit. Veins of the leaves prominent and often rough 

 with erect glands. In water or miry bogs. 



