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ALISMiCcE^E 



carpels 3, 6, or more, mostly free, superior, 1- or more-seeded : 

 fruit of achenes or follicles. 



1. AiJsma. — Leaves erect or floating ; flowers solitary, or in 

 whorls, perfect ; outer perianth-leaves green ; stamens 6 ; carpels 

 numerous, free, 1 -seeded, indehiscent. 



2. Sagittaria. — Leaves erect, arrow-shaped ; flowers in whorls, 

 imperfect ; otherwise as in Alisma. 



3. Damas6nium. — 

 Leaves floating ; flowers in 

 whorls, perfect ; carpels 

 6 — 10, united at the base, 

 1 — 2 -seeded, dehiscent ; 

 otherwise as in Alisma. 



4. Butomus. — Leaves 

 erect ; flowers in an umbel, 

 perfect ; perianth-leaves all 

 coloured ; stamens 9 from 

 the branching of the 3 

 outer ; carpels 6, united at 

 the base, many-seeded, 

 dehiscent. 



1. AiisMA (Water-Plan- 

 tain). — Aquatic plants 

 with fibrous roots ; erect 

 leaves ; flowers in whorls, 

 perfect ; outer perianth- 

 leaves green ; stamens 6 ; 

 carpels numerous, free, 

 1 - seeded, indehiscent. 

 (Name, the Greek name 

 of the plant, of doubtful 

 etymology.) 



1. A. Plantdgo-aqudtica 

 (Great Water-Plantain). — 



A L iSM A P L ANTX G 0-AQuXT,CA(G^^^PW««). A ^^ herbaceQUS pkntj 



2 — 3 feet high, with large, long-stalked, radical leaves, ovate- 

 lanceolate, 5 — 7-ribbed, like those of a Plantain ; and a tall, erect, 

 much-branched panicle of whorled flowers, the inner perianth -leaves 

 of which are very delicate, white or pale lilac, and soon fall off; 

 carpels 20 — 30 in a ring.- — Margins of rivers, lakes, and ponds ; 

 common. — Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



2. A. ranunculoides (Lesser Water-Plantain). — Much smaller 

 than the last, with linear-lanceolate, 3-ribbed leaves, some of which 



