384 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



have no special qualities, but several are ornamental garden 

 plants, such as Bartonia aurea, Blumenhachia insignis, as 

 well as several species of Loasa. Illairea canarinoides is a 

 remarkable plant, climbing like the Hop, and producing 

 curious showy pendulous flowers on long foot-stalks. 



The Water Chestnut Family. 



(Haloragace^.) 



Small herbs, with finely-cut or toothed leaves, growing 

 (floating) in water ; or with erect stems and filiform leaves, 

 rarely sub-shrubs with opposite leaves. Flowers small, in- 

 conspicuous, variable in number of parts. Fruit small or 

 large, hard, and horned. 



From 50 to 60 species are recorded of this family. They 

 are generally insignificant plants, all widely distributed 

 throughout the temperate regions of both hemispheres, and 

 are represented in this country by the two species of Water- 

 Milfoil {Myriojjliyllum), and the common Mares-Tail {Hip- 

 puris vulgaris). 



Water Chestnut or Caltrops {Trapa natans). A native of 

 the South of Europe, growing in water, having creeping 

 stems producing tufts of hair -like roots, from the centre of 

 which rise foot-stalks with floating, triangular toothed leaves. 

 The flowers are small. The lobes of the calyx 2 or 4, in- 

 creasing in size, and with its tube involving the ovary, 

 which becomes a hard, horned fruit about the size of a 

 chestnut. They contain much farinaceous starch, forming a 

 considerable article of food ; in Italy they are known by the 

 name of Jesuit Chestnuts, and in France as Water Chest- 

 nuts. In Cashmere the seeds of T. hispinosa form an 

 important article of food to a large population. T. hicornis 

 is also extensively used for food in China. 



The stiff" horn-like projections of these fruits convey to 

 the mind the idea of Caltrops ; hence they are called Water 

 Caltrops {T. hicornis). The chief exception to their aquatic 

 character are some species of the genus Haloragis ; small 



