MISS A. M. GEL. DART ON STRATIOTES ALOIDES, L. 189 
had to do with its reluctance to rise rapidly. About the end 
of August or at any rate before ^September 15th, it sinks 
and does not reappear until the following year.” To return 
to Nolte : — This increasing continues into the late autumn, 
indeed often till December. The young plants then pass the 
winter on the mud. Even buds which are accidentally de- 
tached, provided that the rootstock is uninjured, can maintain 
themselves floating, push out roots, and later become new 
plants. These develop from closed buds often at first only 
i an inch in size. Nolte cultivated in his room several of 
these young plants 3-4 inches in size, during the winter 
1824-5. 
The increase of these buds is very rapid. Lord de Tabley 
records that “ 6 specimens put into 2 ponds became 80 plants 
in 2 years.” This is the only mode of increase in England, 
as perfect seed is at present unknown here. Even in localities 
on the Continent where both sexes occur, rootbreeding seems 
to be the chief method of increase ; where this predominates 
the formation of seed is hindered. 
After hibernation the plant rises again to the surface in 
April or May and floats on the water, pushing new roots out 
of its base, and leaves out of its upper surface. From the 
end of June or beginning of July till August it develops 
flower heads and often covers whole surfaces of water with 
its beautiful flowers. If young plants appear now between 
the leaves, they will not develop yet ; one frequently finds 
a flowering plant with young plants 3 to 4 inches in size still 
attached by runners ; they appear, however, to be inactive. 
The peduncle, in specimens at Sutton about 4 inches long 
when the flower expands, lengthening to 6 inches as the fruit 
forms, is surmounted by a membranous, two-leaved spathe ; 
its leaflets boat-shaped, sharply keeled, the keels bordered 
with sharp little teeth directed upwards, persistent. Nolte 
says that these leaflets are 1 to inches long, almost equal. 
At Sutton one leaflet is always decidedly larger than the other, 
the longer one measuring up to if inches ; a few of these 
spathe-leaves I found to be hooded ; quite closed at the upper 
end, the larger one more so than the other. In both male 
o 2 
