740 



THE CALL1TEICHE FAMILY. 



and the leaves are whorled in the same 

 manner, but instead of being pinnately 

 divided they are twice or thrice forked, 

 with linear, often fine and subulate seg- 

 ments, usually slightly toothed on the 

 edge. Flowers small, and sessile in the 

 axils of the leaves, each one surrounded 

 by a w r horl of minute bracts, but with- 

 out any real perianth ; the males con- 

 sisting of 12 to 20, sessile, oblong anthers, 

 the females of a small ovary with a 

 simple style. Fruit an ovoid, slightly 

 compressed nut, 2 to 3 lines long, either 

 smooth or with a few tubercles or 

 prickles, either scattered over the sur- 

 face or united in a slightly prominent 

 wing round the edge. 

 In pools, slow streams, and shallow margins of lakes, dispersed al- 

 most all over the globe. Not uncommon in Britain. Fl. summer, 

 but very seldom. 



Fig. 893. 



II. CALLITRICHE. CALLITRICHE. 



Leaves opposite, entire, 

 fruit 4-lobed and 4-seeded. 



Stamens solitary. Styles 2. Ovary and 



1. Common Callitriche. Callitriche aquatica, Sm. 

 (Fig. 894.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 722, and C. autumnalis, Suppl. t. 2606 and t. 2732. C. 

 pedunculata, Brit. Fl. C. jplatycarjpa, Bab. Man.) 



A glabrous, slender perennial, either 

 floating in water or creeping and rooting 

 in wet mud, flowering young so as to 

 appear annual, varying in length accord- 

 ing to the depth of the water. Leaves 

 either all obovate or oblong, 1 to 6 lines 

 long, or the lower submerged ones nar- 

 row-linear, and obtuse or notched at the 

 top; the upper ones obovate, and spread- 

 ing in little tufts on the surface of the 



Fig. 894. 



