( 437 .) 
ACTINOCA'RPUS* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Hexa'ndria f, IIexagy'nia, 
Natural Order. Alisma'ceas J, Dr. R. Brown. — Lindl. Syn. 
p. 253. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 253. — Rich, by Maegilliv. 
p. 399. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 536. — Mack. FI. Hibern. p. 271. — 
Hook. Brit. FI. (4th edit.) p. 421. — Liliales; sect. Alismin^e ; 
type, AlismacEj® ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v.i. pp. 418, 422, & 423. — 
Junci, sect. 3. Juss. Gen. PI. pp. 43 & 46. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. 
p. 72. — Tripetaloidea:, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 3 egg-shaped, concave, 
permanent sepals. Corolla (see fig. 2.) of 3 roundish, flat, widely 
spreading, deciduous petals, much larger than the sepals, and alter- 
nate with them. Filaments (see fig. 3.) 6, awl-shaped, shorter than 
the corolla. Anthers roundish. Gcrmens (fig. 4.) superior, from 
6 to 8. Styles (see figs. 3 & 4.) simple, oblique. Stigmas blunt. 
Capsules (figs. 5 & 6.) combined at the base, spreading in a radiated 
manner, 2-seeded. Seeds (figs. 7 & 8.) oblong, blunt, without 
albumen. Embryo (see fig. 9.) undivided, much curved. 
The calyx of 3 permanent sepals ; the corolla of 3 petals ; the 
2-seeded capsules, combined at the base, and spreading in a star- 
like manner ; and the seeds with a undivided much curved embryo ; 
will distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order. 
It differs from Alisma (t. 337.) in the capsules being combined 
at the base, and spreading in a star-like manner. 
One species British. • 
ACTINOCA'RPUS DAMASO'NIUM. Common Star-fruit. Star- 
headed Water-Plantain. Star-headed Thrum-wort. 
Spec. Char. Leaves oblong, heart-shaped at the base, 5-nerved. 
Capsules 6, awl-shaped, compressed, spreading, opening longitu- 
dinally. 
Actinoca'rpus ( Brown’s Prod p. 342.) Damaso'nium, Hook, in FI. Lond. 
N. S. ; Brit. FI. p. 172. — Irv. Lond. FI. p. 108. — Luxf. Reig. FI. p. 32. — Leight. 
FI. of Shropsh. p. 157. — Alisma Damasonium, Linn. Sp. PI. p. 486. — Engl. Bot. 
t. 1615.— Curt. FI. Lond. t. .— Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 159.— Willd. Sp. PI. 
v. ii. pt. I. p. 277. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 401. ; Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 204. — With. 
(7th ed.) v. ii. p. 464. — Lindl. Syn. p. 253. — Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 222. — Rev. 
G. E. Smith’s PI. of S. Kent, p. 23. — Pamp. PI. of Battersea, p. 8. — Walker’s FI. 
of Oxf. p. 106. — Damasonium stellatum, Dalech. Hist. p. 1058.— Pers. Syn. 
Plant, v. i. p. 400. — Damasonium Dalechampii, Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 217. — 
Damasonium stellatum Dalechampii, Ray’s Syn. p. 272. — Plantago aquatica 
minor stellata, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 417. 
Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla, — Fig. 3. Stamens and Pistils. — Fig. 4. Germens. — 
Fig. 5. Fruit, consisting of six capsules, combined at the base. — Fig. 6. A separate 
Capsule. — Figs. 7 & 8. Seed. — Fig. 9. The curved Embryo. — Figs. 2, 4, 8, and 9, 
magnified. 
* From aktin, Gr. a ray ; and karpos, Gr. f ruit ; in consequence of its 
curiously radiated fruit resembling a star-fish. Hooker. 
See folio 33, note -f. } See folio 109, a. 
