4o8 William Russel Dudley 



quite leafy at the base, and rise from one-third to two-thirds 

 of a meter, to the summit of the upper spathes, and by means 

 of the extension of the leafy tips of leaves, spathes and 

 spathe-sheathes, are continued to the height of a meter or 

 more. In the stem are from three to five nodes with sheath- 

 ing leaves, one or two of the lower leaf-sheaths usually 

 empty. The upper are occupied by the clusters or branches 

 of spathes. The uppermost cluster, however, terminates the 

 stem, and usually has no sheathing leaf corresponding to 

 those of the nodes proper, its place being taken by the lower 

 spathe-sheath. The stems of staminate plants are usually 

 shorter than those of the pistillate ; and instead of two or 

 three spathes in a cluster, there are usually three or four 

 shorter ones in the staminate plant. The pistillate inflor- 

 escence is carefully shown in Plate I, A, and apparently this 

 arrangement is repeated, in both sexes, in all cases. The ar- 

 rangement of spathes and spathe-sheaths is the same as in 

 Zostera, except there is no prolongation to the axis of the 

 branch bearing them. From their beginnings the buds and 

 the sexual organs are provided with a remarkable system of 

 shields. Referring to figures A and C we shall find retina- 

 cula, spathe, spathe-sheath, successively embracing the mem- 

 bers within, and the whole, as well as the other branches 

 above it, enclosed by the strong sheath of the nodal leaf. 



As the various sheaths burst because of the expansion of 

 the growing parts within, the flat, broad, shredded remnant is 

 seen, characteristic of the older leaves of Phyllospadix. 



The spathe proper and its spadix are sessile on a flattened, 

 common peduncle, two to three centimeters long. Reference 

 to the figures D and E will show the flattened staminate 

 spadix, the oblique arrangement in two rows of the pairs 

 of sessile, distinct anther-lobes, (each pair a single "two- 

 celled" anther), protected by the broadly ovate, somewhat 

 falcate, obtuse retinacula or appendages ; also the young 

 pistils in two rows on the pistillate spadix. tlieir retinacula 

 oblong and obtuse. 



But we must here state at length several additional facts 

 which appear never to have been recorded, and correct a few 

 important errors. 



