Oedee 150.— PONTEDBRIACB^. ^21 



to' 12, hypogynous, longer than the sepals ; anthers jntrorse; styles 3 ; 

 capsule 3-partible, oo-seeded. — 71 Herb glabrous, with a slender, rush- 

 like stem, dry, rush-like Ivs., and a raeeme of 6 to 9 yellow fls. 

 P. tenuifolia Rich. Bogs, N. Car. (Curtis), S. Car. (Miohx.) St. 1 to 2f high, 



from red, fibrous roots. Lvs. perennial-green, very narrow, sheathing at base, 



nearly Iflong. Caps, brown. 



Order CL. PONTEDERIACE^. Pontedbriads. 



Plants aquatic, with the leaves parallel-veined, mostly dilated at base. Fls. spath- 

 aceous. Perianth tubular, colored, G-parted, often irregular and circinate after 

 flowering. Stamens 3 or 6, unequal, perigynoua. Ovary free, 3-eelled. Style 1. 

 Stigma simple. Capsule 3 (sometimes l)-celled, 3-valved, with loculicidal dehis- 

 cence. Seeds numerous (sometimes solitary), attached to a central axis. Albumen 

 farinaceous. 



Genera 6, species 80, found exclnaivelj in America, E. Indies, and tropical Africa. They .ire 

 of no known use. 



GENERA. 



Flowers irregular, blue. Stamens 6. Utricle 1-seeded , PoKiacDEElA. 1 



Flowers regular. — Anthers 8, of 2 forms. Leaves reniform IIbtbraktiiera, 3 



— Anthers 3, of one form. Leaves linear Sciiollera. 3 



1. PONTEDE^RIA, L. Pickerel Weed. (In honor of </m&«s Pok- 

 tedera, a botanic author and professor, of Padua, about 1Y20.) Perianth 

 bilabiate, tubular at base, under side of the tabe split with 3 longitudi- 

 nal clefts (the 2 lower sepals free), circinate after flowering and persis- 

 tent ; stamens unequally inserted, 3 near the base and 3 at the summit 

 ot the tube; utricle 1-seeded (2 cells abortive). — Lvs. radical, long- 

 potioled. St. 1-leaved, bearing a spike of blue fls. 



1 P. cordata L. Lvs. cordate-ohlong, obtuse ; petiole shorter than the peduncle ; 

 spike cylindrical, pubescent. — 11 Can, and IT. S. A fine, conspicuous plant, na- 

 tive of the borders of muddy lakes, &c., growing in patches extending from the 

 shores to deep water. Stem thick, round, erect, arising 1 — 2f . above the water, 

 bearing a single leaf Leaves 4 — i' by 1^ — 3', very smooth and glossy, almost 

 sao-ittate, with veins beautifully arranged to conform to the margin. Flowers in 

 a spike, arising'above the spathe, very irregular. Perianth 2-lipped, each lip 3- 

 cleft, always blue, appearing in July. 



/?. ANGUSTISOLIA Torr. Z/iis. narrow, truncate and subcordate at base. 



2 P. lanoifolia Muhl. Lvs. lance-oblong or lance-linear, rather acute at each end ; 

 petiole shorter than the peduncle; spike cylindrical, pubesceift. — Pools and 

 ditches, Ga. (Peay) and S. Car. More slender every way than the other, 15 to 30' 

 high. "We can detect no difference in its flowers, but the permanent difference 

 of the leaves is worthy of consideration. Apr., May. 



2. HETERAN'THERA, Ruiz & Pav. '(Gr. erepa, otherwise, dvej^pa; 

 the anthers being dissimilar in the same flower.) Spathe several- 

 flowered ; tube of the perianth long and slender, limb 6-parted, equal ; 

 stamens 3 ; anthers of 2 forms, the lower oblong-sagittate, on a longer 

 filament ; capsule 3-celled, many-seeded. Lvs. mostly reniform, long- 

 petioled-. 



H. reniformis R. & P. St. prostrate or floating ; lvs. suborbicular, reniform or 

 auriculate at base ; spathe acuminate, few-flowered. — On muddy or inundated 

 banks. Mid. and W. States. Stem 4' to a foot or more in length. Leaves J' by 



I', on petioles 1 2' long, with a broad sinus at base, and a short, abrupt acumi- 



nation. Spathe closely enveloping the 2 or 3 very evanescent, white flowers. 

 Tube of the perianth i' long, limb in 6 oblong segments. Filaments inserted at 



46 



