POTAMOGETON CRISPUM. CuRLED PoNDWEED, Of 
greater Water Caltrops. 
POTAMOGETON Lin. Gm. PI. Tetbandria Tetragynia. 
Cal. o. Petala 4. Stylus o. Sem. 4. 
Pali Syn. Gen. 5. Herb* flore imperfecto seu stamineo Vel apetaEc) 
potius. 
POTAMOGETON crifpum foliis lanceolatis alternis oppofitifve undulatis ferratis. Lm. Sy/I. I egetaf. 
p. 141. Sp. Pl. 5.183. Fl.Suec. n. 14S. 
POTAMOGETON. Hali. Hijl. n. 848 . 
POTAMOGETON crifpum. Scopoli FI. Can. n. 181. 
POTAMOGETON foliis crifpis feu laftuca ranarum, Baub. p. 465. 
POTAMOGETON feu fontinalis crifpa. I. B. III. p. 778. 
TRIBULUS aquaticus minor Querelis floribus. Ger. em. 1282. 
TRIBULUS aquaticus minor prior. Pari. 1248. Rati Syn. p. 149- 
Huifon FI. Angi. p. 75- Lightfiot FI. Seat. p. 1 22.. 
The greatec Water Caltrops. 
T, ATYI-V- • «ROOT perennial and creeping. 
CAULES plurimi, varia; longitudinis, fordide carnei, | STALKS numerous, of various lengths, of a dirty flelh- 
fubdiaphani, comprefli, utrinque fulcati, ramofi. % colour, iomewhat tranfparent, flattened, with 
F r ’ i 1 a groove on each fide, and branched. 
I SHEATHS Ihort, of the fame colour as the ftalks, 
VAGINsE breves, concolores, vix diftinguemte. force|y bc 
FOI IA feffilia lanceolata, obtufa, fubdiapbana, crifpa, | LEAVES feffile, lanceolate, obtufe, lomewhat tranfpa- 
" * fcariola, nitida, trinervia, ferrulata, inferiori-» rent, curled, fonorous to the touch, firming, 
bus alternis, fuperioribus oppolitis. | three- nbbed lharply and finely ferreted the 
r I lower ones alternate, tire upper ones oppolite. 
PEDUNCULI axillares, bi feu triunciales, craffiufculi, | GENERAL FLOWER-STALKS growing from the 
1 r k . .. -fi: I ala; of the leaves, two or three mcheS in 
u compit . y length, thickifh, and fomewhat flattened. 
FLORES fpicati, fex five o£to, feffiles. | FLOWERS fix or eight, growing in a fpike, and feffile. 
r \l YX nullus * CALYX wanting. 
COROLLA- Petala quatuor, fubrotunda, obtufa, | COROLLA : four Petals, roundiffi, obtufe, hollow, 
concava, unguiculata, primo erecta, dein pa- | conneaed by a little claw, at firft upright, 
tentia, decidua, e ful'co viridia, fig. x. | afterwards fpreadmg and deciduous, of a 
I greenilh brown colour,^, i. 
STAMINA - Filamenta quatuor, breviflima, vix dif- 1 STAMINA : four -Filaments, very ihort, fcarcely to 
tinguenda. Anthebie breves, didymse, alba:, | be diftinguifhed. Anther.* Ihort, havmg 
j; ° ' $ two feparate lobes, of a white colour, fig. 2. 
PISTILLUM:' Germina quatuor, ovato-acuminata. | PISTILLUM : Germina four, ovate, with a long point. 
Stylus nullus. Stigmata obtufa, fig. 3. | Style none. Stigmata obtufe, fig. 3. 
SEMINA quatuor, nuda, majufc.ula, fordide virentia, | SEEDS four, naked, rather large, of a dirty green, flat- 
utrinque ’comprefla, externe ad bafin denticu- * tened on each fide, toothed externally at the 
lata, fig. 4. % bafe. fig. 4. 
Mod of the plants of this genus have creeping roots, which penetrating eafily through the mud, caufe them to 
fpread very fad, fo as loon to fill up a pond or flow river, if unmolefted. 
1 We have obferved, that ducks very readily eat not only the feeds, but the leaves of the prefent fpecies, which is 
one of the mod common. The introduction of water-fowl may therefore probably prevent this fpecies at lead, and 
perhaps fome of the others, from increafing too much. 
It flowers in June and July. 
