102. CHARACEA. 419 
parate spikes. At the extremity of the stems a few curious vivi- 
ee buds may usually be found; they are well illustrated by 
Mr. Newman (p. 378). Occasionally the stems in sheltered situa- 
tions become much elongated.—Heaths, chiefly on mountains. 
P. VI—VIII. Fir Club-moss. 
5. L. inundatum (L.); 1. scattered linear acute turned upwards, 
spikes terminal sessile leafy solitary upon short erect branches. 
—E. B. 239. N. 369.—St. short, prostrate, rooting. Branches 
few, simple, short, erect, fertile—Boggy heaths. P. VIII. IX. 
** Caps. of two kinds. SmLAGINELLA Koch. 
6. L. selaginoides (L.); 1. scattered lanceolate ciliated, spikes 
terminal solitary sessile leafy upon short erect branches.—H. B. 
1148, N. 371. S. spinulosa Koch.—St. prostrate, much branched, 
rooting, slender. Flowering branches simple, short, erect. In 
addition to the 2-valved thecze, this plant produces others which 
are 3-valved and contain 2—4 large grains.—Boggy spots chieily 
in mountainous places. P. VIII. 
Order CII. CHARACEA. 
Leafless branched plants with stems formed of one or more 
arallel tubes. Two kinds of fructification ; round red globules 
anthers ?) formed of 8 valves, inclosing cells containing granular 
matter and spiral filaments; oval nucules formed of | cell with 
5 filaments folded spirally round it and containing minute granules 
which appear at last to unite into a single seed. —Plants green, 
aquatic.—The position of this order is very doubtful, and opinions 
are various concerning its structure. It is placed here simply 
from convenience. 
1. Cuara. The only genus. 
1. Cuara Ltnn. 
I. Nrretia Ag.—Crown of nucule of 10 cells forming 2 cir- 
cles lyg upon each other, never spreading, generally falling off 
before the seed is ripe. Stems more or less pellucid, composed 
of one tube. 
i. Nitella. Globules terminal at the forks of the branchlets. 
* Branchlets only once divided into 1-jointed segments, 
6—8 in a whorl, similar. 
lL. C. flewilis (L.); moncecious, st. slender equal flexible trans- 
parent, branchlets pointed not mucronate nearly equally forked 
