TYPHACEiE. 



777 



1. Branched Sparganium. Sparganium ramosum, Huds. 

 (Fig. 933.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 744. Bur-reed.) 

 Stems erect, simple or branched, 2 

 feet high or more, sheathed below by 

 the long, linear leaves, which usually far 

 surpass the inflorescences. These form 

 a kind of panicle at the summit of the 

 stem, with 3 or 4 to 6 or 8 simple 

 branches, each bearing 6 to 12 or even 

 more male heads, about the size of a pea 

 till the stamens expand, when they are 

 about 4 lines in diameter ; the lower 

 female heads are fully 6 lines in dia- 

 meter, glabrous, with the long, linear 

 points of the stigmas very prominent. 



On the margins of ponds, lakes, and 

 streams, almost all over Europe and 

 Russian Asia, and a portion of North 

 America, but scarcely reaching the 

 Arctic Circle. Extends all over Britain. Yig. 933. 



Fl. summer. 



2. Simple Sparganium. Sparganium simplex, Huds. 



(Fig. 934.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 745.) 



Eather smaller than the branched S. 9 

 with narrow leaves ; the flower-heads 

 much fewer, at considerable distances 

 from each other along the simple sum- 

 mit of the stem ; all sessile except the 

 lowest female, which is often on a pe- 

 duncle of 1 to 2 inches. Flowers as in 

 the branched S. 



In similar situations, and nearly as 

 widely distributed as the branched S., 

 but not quite so common. Not unfre- 

 quent in England and Ireland, but more 

 rare in Scotland. Fl. summer. A float- 

 ing variety found occasionally, but 

 rarely, in deeper water, has the weak 

 stems and long floating leaves nearly of 

 the small $., with which it was con- 

 founded in the first edition of this Hand- 



YOL. II. 



Fig. 934. 



