239 



to the ovary : filaments free, or cohering at the base, or even 

 combined into a tube, compressed, acute, sometimes 2-forked 

 at the apex : anthers iatrorse, 2-celled, affixed at the back 

 above the base, erect, ovate or oblong : cells opposite, dehiscing 

 lengthways: ovary globose or elliptic, 2 — 3 -celled, placentae 

 broadly swelling from the central angle of the cells, or l-celled 

 by abortion : ovules numerous ascending, amphitropal : styles 

 the number of the cells, undivided or 2-cleffc, persistent, stig- 

 matose within: capsule ribbed, 2— 3-celled, crowned by the 

 persistent styles, opening by 2 — 3-valves, which fall off from 

 the dissepiments: seeds very minute, imbricated: albumen 

 none: embryo orthotropal: radicle inferior, very short. — 

 Aquatic herbs, submersed, stems usually floating: leaves 

 alternate, occasionally imbricated, laciniated or entire, lacinise 

 usually capUlary, very tender, decurrent into the stem and 

 branches, destitute of stomata. 



GENUS I. DICE^A. 



monadelphia Dig'ynla. Sex: Syst: 



GtES. Chak. Staminodes two, equal, linear, tlie third usually 

 aborting : stamens 2, monadelp,lio)is : anthers ovate : pollen didy- 

 .mous: stigmas short, subulate, short, entire: capsule many-nerved : 

 flowers radical, solitary, terminal or racemose. 



(1) D. toBrairoLiA. fR. Wight. J 



Ident. Wight's Icon. v. t. 1916—4. 



Spec. Chae. Stems compressed, branched, alternately nodose, 

 lower nodes leafy only, terminal ones flower-bearing : leaves of the 

 lower nodes long-linear, strap-shaped, of the flower-bearings ones 

 sheathing at the base, subulate above, 2 — 3-times the length of 

 the 3-lobed spathe : capsule 3-ribbed. 



Malabar. 



(2) D. DICHOTOMA. fTul.J 



Ident. Gardner in Calc. Joum. Nat. Hist, (under Podostemon.) 



Migrcm, Wight 1. c. t. 1916—2. 



Spec. Chae. Stems long, naked, compressed, slender, flexible, 

 sparingly and dichotomously branched : branches simple, long, nearly 

 parallel, somewhat flexnose, sparingly floriferous towards the apex : 

 leaves few, subulate, short, partly cohering : capsule 8-ribbed, ribs 

 somewhat prominent. 



Pycarrah river, Neilgherries. 



