( 487 .) 
ELA/TINE * *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Octa^ndria "f, Tetragy'nia. 
Natural Order. Caryophy'llf.Av^, Linn . — Juss. Gen. PI. p. 
299. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 159. — Lindl. Syn. p;43. ; Introd. to 
Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 156. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 507. — Loud. Hort. 
Brit. p. 501. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 379. — 
Mack. FI. Hib. p. 40. — Hook. Brit. FI. (4th ed.) p. 400. — Rosales ; 
subord. Rhceados.e; sect. Dianthina; ; type. Elatinaceao; 
Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 614, 784, 805, & 806. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 3 or 4, roundish, slightly 
concave, rather unequal, spreading segments, permanent. Corolla 
(see fig. 2.) of 3 or 4, egg-shaped, blunt, sessile, spreading petals, 
alternate with the segments of the calyx. Filaments (see figs. 2 
and 3.) 6 or 8, awl-shaped, about as long as the petals. Anthers 
roundish. Germen (see figs. 3 & 4,) superior, large, globular, 
rather depressed. Styles (see figs. 2 to 4.) 3 or 4, upright, very 
short. Stigmas simple. Capsule (fig. 5.) globose, depressed, large, 
of 3 or 4 valves, and 3 or 4 cells. Partitions ( dissepiments ) 
alternate with the valves (see fig. 6), attached only to the central 
column {placenta). Seeds { figs. 7 & 8.) numerous, upright, ob- 
long, curved, furrowed and transversely striated, attached to the 
central, free placenta. 
The 3- or 4-parted calyx ; the corolla of 3 or 4 petals, with from 
6 to 8 stamens, and 3 or 4 styles ; the 3- or 4-valved, 3- or 4-celled, 
many-seeded capsule; and the cylindrical, furrowed, transversely 
striated seed ; will distinguish this from other genera in the same 
class and order. 
Two species British. 
ELA/TINE HEXA'NDRA. Six-stamened Water-wort. Small 
Water-wort. 
Spec. Char. Leaves opposite, in pairs; spathulate. Flowers 
alternate, stalked, upright, with 6 stamens, and 3 petals. Capsule 
turbinate, concave at the summit, 3-celled. Seeds about 12 in 
each cell, nearly straight, ascending. 
De Cand. Icon. PI. Uar. v. i. p. 14. t. 43. f. X. ; Prod. v. i. p. 390. — Reiclienb. 
Icouogr. Bot. t. 413. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 185. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. 
v. i. p. 420. — J. E. Bowman, in Engl. Bot., at t. 2670. — Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 
31 — Irv. Lond. FI. p. 244. — Leight. FI. of Shropsh. p. 173. — Mack. FI. Ilibern. 
p. 45. — Elatine Hydropiper , Engl. Bot. t. 955. (not of Linn, or of Engl. Bot. 
t. 2670.)— Sm. FI. Brit. v. iii. p. 1396.— With. (7tli ed.) v. ii. p. 502.— Mack. Cat. 
PI. of Irel. p. 38. — Elatine tripetala, Sm. Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 243. — Don’s Gen. 
Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 420. — Alsinastrum serpillifolium, flore roseo, 
tripetalo, Vaill. Bot. Par. p. 5. t. 9. f 1 . — Willisellus serpyllifolia, Gray’s Nat. 
Arr. v. ii. pp. 650 and 736 1 
Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. A Flower; a. Calyx; b. Corolla. — Fig. 2*. A Flower 
expanded. — Fig. 3. Germen and Stamens. — Fig. 4. Calyx and Germen. — Fig. 5. 
Capsule, with the valves separated. — Fig. 6. The same after it has discharged the 
seeds. — Figs. 7 & 8. Seeds. — All, except fig. 7, more or less, magnified. 
* From elate, Gr. the broad part of an oar ; possibly in allusion to the shape 
of the leaves. Leighton. 
f See folio 42, note f. 
t See folio 152, a. 
