NOTES ON THE STEUCTUEE, THE OCCUEEENCE IN 

 LANCASHIRE, AND THE SOUECE OP OEIGIN, OF 

 NAIAS QRAMINEA Delile, vab. DELILEI Magnus. 



(Plates 249—252.) 



Pago 



I. Introduction 3 



II. The Genus, and its divisions 4 



III. Synonymy of the Plant . . 4 



IV. The Stem ...... 6 



V. The Leaves 7 



VI. The Leaf-spines .... 8 

 VII. The Leaf -sheath .... 10 



VIII. Leaf-structure 12 



IX. The Inflorescence .... 14 



X. The Pistilliferous Flower . 15 



XI. The Antheriferous Flower . 17 



XII. The Pollen 18 



XIII. Fertilization 19 



XIV. The Fruit 20 



XV. The Boots 22 



XVI. The Lancashire Locality . 23 



XVII. Geographical Distribution 25 

 XVIII. Its probable source of 



origin 25 



XIX A Histological peculiarity 27 

 XX. Explanation of the Fi- 

 gures 29 



I . — Inteoduction. 



Naias graminea Del., Plate 249, fig. 1, and Chara Braunii Gruel, 

 were first reported as occurring in a natural state in England at 

 the Meeting of the British Association at Southport in September, 

 1883. Their addition to the flora of South Lancashire and of 

 Britain is due to the Biological Society of Ashton, and to Mr. 

 John Whitehead, of Dukinfield. They were discovered during the 

 exploration of the Ashton-under-Lyne district in acquiring the 

 necessary material for the compilation of a fauna and flora of 

 the neighbourhood, for presentation to the Biological Section of 

 the British Association. An abstract of this communication, made 

 by Mr. J. E. Byrom, of Ashton, is printed on pp. 541-543 of the 

 ' Eeport of the Fifty-third Meeting of the British Association.' 



Few portions of Great Britain are so well known, botanically, 

 as most of the northern counties of England, and yet a concerted 

 systematic examination of so well-worked a district as Ashton has 

 brought to light many novelties, besides two, if not three, plants 

 not previously known to be British. To those who know what a 

 large number of practical botanists there are in the North of 

 England, and with what zest so many of their number pursue 

 botanical studies in their hard-earned leisure, it has always seemed 

 a matter for regret that so little of their accumulated knowledge 

 finds its way into print ; and the instance of what has been done 

 by the Ashton botanists should stimulate other local societies to 

 make similar efforts. 



The actual discoverer of the Naias was Mr. James Lee, of 

 Denton ; he brought it to Mr. Whitehead, who sent it to me early in 

 September of last year as a possible Naias, and, from plants which 

 I afterwards gathered in situ with the discoverer and Messrs. White- 

 head and Byrom, it was finally determined by Mr. H. N. Eidley, of 

 the British Museum, to be Naias graminea Del. or Caulinia alag- 

 nensis Pollini. Subsequently Dr. Magnus, of Berlin, has given it 



