1. Triglochin. SCHEUCHZERIACEAE. 49 



Family 17.— SCHEUCHZERIACEAE. 



Elowers bisexual ; perianth-segments herbaceous, 6, in 2 whorls ; carpels with 1-2 

 anatropous ovules. Marsh plants with narrow leaves. 



1. TRIGLOCHIN, L. 



(Greek treis, three ; glokhis, a point : alluding to the points of the 3 carpels.) 

 Flowers in terminal spikes on a simple erect scape ; perianth-segments usually 6, in 2 

 whorls ; anthers 6 or 3, almost sessile ; carpels normally 6, but 3 often sterile and persis- 

 tant on the central axis ; ovule solitary, laterally attached. Usually marsh or freshwater 

 plants, with linear radical leaves. 



A. Fertile carpels 3, separating from the central axis and 

 alternating with 3 barren persistant carpels. 



B. Perennial T. striata 1. 



B. Small annuals. 



C. Carpels truncate, with a spreading point T. mucronata 2. 



C. Carpels contracted towards summit. 



Carpels with conspicuous basal spurs T. calcitrapa 3. 



Carpels without conspicuous spurs T. centrocarpa 4. 



A. Fertile carpels usually 6, without any barren ones or 



persistant central axis T. procera 5. 



1. T. striata, Ruiz et Pav. Stoloniferous perennial with narrow-linear leaves ; scape 

 3-30 cm. high ; flowers usually numerous ; perfect anthers 3 ; fruits subglobular, the 3 

 fertile carpels streaked on the back. 



Swamps in southern districts. Oct. -Dec. 



2. T. mucronata, R. Br. Small annual with very narrow leaves ; scape 3-10 cm. high ; 

 flowers few, sometimes only 1 terminating the scape ; fruits almost sessile, top-shaped 

 and truncate, the 3 perfect carpels having each a horizontal mucro at summit. 



Swamps in southern districts. Aug. -Sept. 



3. T. calcitrapa, Hook. Small annual with filiform leaves ; scape 6-15 cm. high ; fruits 

 pyramidal-linear, 4-6 mm. long, pedicellate or almost sessile, each fertile carpel with 2 

 long, incurved, basal spurs. 



Dry North. Apr. -July. 



4. T. centrocarpa, Hook. Dwarf annual with filiform leaves ; scape 3-7 cm. high ; 

 fruits pyramidal-linear, 2-5 mm. long, sessile or pedicellate, the carpels with slight pro- 

 tuberances or very short straight spurs at base. 



Almost all parts of the State, often in sandy soil. May-Sept. 



5. T. procera, R. Br. Robust perennial ; leaves long flat, 1 cm. broad, the upper part 

 floating ; scape from 25 to more than 50 cm. high ; flowers numerous ; stamens 6 ; fruits 

 subglobular or oblong. 



In or beside rivers, creeks, and lakes, chiefly in the southern districts. Sept. -Nov. 



Family 18.— ALISMATACEAE. 



Flowers usually bisexual ; sepals and petals 3 ; stamens usually 6, hypogynous, with 

 erect 2-celled anthers ; carpels 6 or more, with 1 to several anatropous ovules. Marsh 

 plants with radical leaves and branched inflorescence. 



Carpels beaked, radiating, 2 -seeded Damasonium 1. 



Carpels scarcely beaked, 1 -seeded Alisma 2. 



1. DAMASONIUM, Juss. 

 (Greek damazo, to subdue, because one species was said to overcome poison.) 

 1. D. minor (R. Br.), Buch. Leaves radical, on long petioles, ovate-cordate to lanceo- 

 late, with 3-5 primary nerves ; stems leafless 20-50 cm. high ; flowers small, paniculate, 

 in 3 or 4 distant whorls and a terminal umbel : petals pale pink, larger than the sepals ; 

 carpels 6-9, compressed, united at base, tapering into a beak, radiating like a star ; seeds 

 oblong, tuberculate. — D. australe, Salisb. (1812) ; Actinocarpits minor, R. Br. (1810). 

 Marshes beside the River Murray. Jan. -March. 



1. ALISMA, L. 



(Greek and Latin name of the plant.) 



1. A. plantago, L. Water plantain. Rootstock bulbous ; leaves on long petioles, 

 ovate-lanceolate, sometimes cordate at base, large, 7 -nerved ; stem leafless, erect, stiff, 

 30 cm. to 1 m. high ; flowers small, pale pink, in a large panicle of whorled branches, each 

 branch bearing an umbel ; carpels about 20, small, rounded on back and summit, com- 

 pressed and closely packed in a ring round the depressed axis. 



Reedbeds near Adelaide ; Onkaparinga River, but probably an escape. Dec. -Feb. — 

 A cosmopolitan plant. 



