On Azolla and Salvinia. 263 



The genus Salvinia is said to have been first established 

 by Micheli.* He considered the papilliform hairs on the 

 surface of the leaves to be apetalous flowers ; a curious idea, 

 since the hairs themselves, which he calls filaments, are ex- 

 pressly stated to be without anthers, " scilicet filamento apice 

 destituto." The spiral nature attributed to them is due 

 to a mistaken view of their articulations. 



Linnaeusf referred it to Marsilea ; the generic description 

 of which is derived as regards his male-flowers from Salvinia, 

 and as regards his female-flower, from Marsilea itself. But 

 his views of the parts of the male-flower do not quite coin- 

 cide with those of Micheli, as he describes with greater con- 

 sistency, but not accuracy, the filaments as anthers, and the 

 papilla from which they arise as filament (or receptacle). 



Aublet'sJ description of the filaments is much the same 

 as that of Micheli, but he expresses doubt of their being 

 the male organs. The capsules are described by him as 

 germina. He appears to have only noticed the smaller in- 

 definite secondary capsules, § which he describes as seeds. 

 The species is represented as having emerged erect fructifi- 

 cation, and the capsules as being bivalved. 



Jussieu|| in adopting Salvinia of Micheli refers to it 

 Marsilea of Linnaeus and Azolla of Lamark. His character 

 is derived almost entirely from Micheli. The flowers are 

 stated to be monoicous ; the view taken of the males is much 

 the same as that of Micheli, but the specification of the 

 analogous parts is avoided. It is suggested that the males 

 will rather be found to have some connection with the cap- 

 sule than the leaves. 



In Schreber's^f character, (probably owing to Guettard 

 whose account I have not been able to consult,) a considera- 

 ble step is made in advance, the diffbrmity of the organs be- 



* Nov. Gen. p. 107, t. 58. 



t Genera Plantarum, ed. 6 Holiniae, 1764, p. 560, No. 1182. 



t Hist, des PI. de la Guiane, p. 969, t. 367. 



$ See PI. 367, f. 5, 6. || Gen. PI. p. 16. f Gen. PI. ed. 8, p. 969, No. 1617. 



2 M 



