ALTSMACE7E. 



799 



about a foot high. Leaves few, linear, 

 sheathing at the base, then narrowed, 

 and nearly cylindrical ; the lower ones 

 often longer than the stem ; the upper 

 ones passing into short, sheathing floral 

 bracts. Flowers few, rather small, on 

 pedicels about 6 lines long, forming a 

 short, loose terminal raceme. Perianth 

 slightly coloured, of 6 spreading or re- 

 flexed segments. Stamens 6. Carpels 

 3, rarely 4 to 6, near 3 lines diameter 

 when ripe, opening by a longitudinal 

 slit, and containing 1 or 2 seeds. 



In bogs and peaty marshes, in north- 

 ern and Arctic Europe, Russian Asia, 

 and North America, and here and there 

 in the mountainous districts of central 

 Europe. In Britain, only in a few bogs 

 in northern England, at Bomere, in 

 Shropshire, and at Methuen, near Perth. 

 Fl. summer, rather early. 



Fig. 962. 



VI. TRIGLOCHIN. TRiaLOCHIN. 



Tufted herbs, with linear, semi-cylindrical radical leaves, and leafless 

 flower-stems, bearing a slender raceme or spike of small greenish 

 flowers without bracts. Perianth of 6 nearly equal segments. Stamens 

 6. Ovary and fruit of 3 or 6 one-seeded carpels, each bearing a se- 

 parate, small feathery stigma, all united at first round a central axis, 

 but separating from it when ripe. 



A small genus, chiefly maritime, but widely distributed over the 

 globe. 



Ripe fruit linear, with 3 carpels 1. Marsh T. 



Ripe fruit ovoid or oblong, with 6 carpels 2. Sea T. 



1. Marsh Triglochin. Triglochin palustre, Linn. 



(Fig. 963.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 366. Arrow-grass.) 



The tufted stock emit3 a few slender, creeping runners. Leaves 

 slender, but rather succulent, varying from 2 or 3 to 6 or 8 inches 



