116 TETRAND1UA TBTRAGYfflA 



- .-urtly 3-nerved, subpellucid. Spadices eblong, about one third of an inch ii 



length, few-flowered, on lateral peduncles about an inch long. Sepals reddish 



brown. 



Hab. Flowing streams .Brandy wine: frequent. Fl. Aug. JV. October. 



Obs. This is the species which my lamented friend, the late Mr. Schtceinitz, 

 Tiastily pronounced Jo be P. criepun^ when I was preparing my Calal »gue . bui ht 

 was undoubtedly mistaken. The plant is generally to be found in the rapid water* 

 of the Brandy wine, lying nearly prostrate on the bottom. 



:). P. lucbns, /, ? Leaves lanceolate, acute, tapering to a petiole ai 

 base ; spadix long, cylindric. Jiech, Hot. p. 380. 

 Shining Potamogktox. 



Root perennial. Stem 2to 4 feet long, slender, somewhat branched. Leaves 

 alternate, membranaceous, shining, pellucid; lower ones linear-lanceolate, often 

 Imperfect; those near the extremity of the stem about 1 inches long, and half an 

 inch to three quarters wide, oblong-lanceolate, tapering to an acute point, entire, 

 many-nerved, with numerous transverse veins, narrowed at base to a petiole 

 about an inch long. Sfpadix 1 to 2 inches long : Qowers somewhat distant ; sepals 

 greenish brown. Pedimde of the spadix stout, long (2 or 3 to G inches), generally 

 opposite to one of the subte nninal Laves. 



Uab. Flowing streams: Brandy wine: frequent. Fl. Aug. Fr. October 



Obs. I have been much embarrassed with this species. It is the P. lucens, of 

 Muhlenberg's Herbarium; but quite different from the European plant, so named. 

 in the Herbarium of the Philadelphia Academy. Mr. Schweinits remarked, on my 

 specimens, "this is the species generally called P. lucens] but it is more exactly 

 the one called P. a-ur/iuiatum,by the German Botanists." Dr. Pickering expres- 

 sed the opinion, that it is only a variety of P. Jluitau$\ and it does seem to bt 

 nearly allied toll. It is, however, always submersed, with ui ; and generally ac- 

 companies the preceding, in swiftly flowing waters. 



\ % P. PAfeiFLORUM, Pursh. Stem slender, somewhat compressed, 

 branched ; leaves sessile, linear, narrow, the lower ones alternate, upper- 

 most subverticilkite ; spadix capitate, few-flowered. Jitck\ Hot. p. 38C. 



P. gramineum. .\Lv. Am. I. p. 102. MuhL Calal. p. 18. Eat. Man. 

 p. 279. Not? of WiUd. Per*. Ait. nor LindL 



Few-flowered Potamokktox. 



Root perennial. Stem bio 12 inches long, very slender, almost filiform, com- 

 pressed (terete, 7 ? orr.), much branched diffuse and suspended in the water. 

 Leaves Ito 3 inches long, grass-like, linear and narrow, acute, somewhat keeled; 

 lower ones alternate, uppermost ones nearly opposite, or frequently subverticillate 

 by fours. Spadix small, capitate, about 4-fto we red, on a sub-clavale peduncle about 

 half an inch long in the axil of the verticil, or upjjer leaves. Sepals greenish 

 brown. 



Hab. Stagnant pools: Brandy wine : Down iugtown : frequent. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

 Obs. First collected in this County by Mr. Joshua Hoopks, in 1628. 1 presume 

 this is Pursh's plant ; but the species of this genus seem to be in much confusioa 

 and obscurity,— and the difficulty is enhanced not a little by the multitude of syn- 

 onyms in Uie books. Six or seven additional species are enumerated in the U. 

 States* 



