Sparganium Simplex. 
Small Bur-Reed. 
SPARGANIUM 
SPARGANIUM 
SPARGANIUM 
SPARGANIUM 
SPARGANIUM 
SPARGANIUM 
Lin. Gen. PL Monoecia Triandria. 
Masc. Amentum fubrotundum. Cal. 3-phyllus, Cor. o. 
F.em. Amentum fubrotundum. Cal. 3-phyllus. Cor. o. Stignid 
2-fidum. Drupa ex fucca, l-fperma. 
Raii Sy n. Graminifoli>e non culmiferae singulares et sui generis. 
Simplex foliis bafi triangularibus, lateribus planis, pedunculis fimplicibus: 
fimplex foliis enfiformibus planis; caule fimplici, Hud/on Fl.Angl.p. 401. 
natans foliis decumbentibus planis. Lin. Syfl. Vegetab. p. 702. Sp. Pl. 1378. 
non ramofum. Bank. Pin. 15. 
non ramofum. Parkinf. 1205. RaiiSyn , p. 437. n. 2, 3. Bur-reed not branched. 
Linnalus makes only two fpecies of the genus Sparganium, one of which he calls eredum, and the other 
natans ; the former he defcribes as very common in ditches and filh-ponds, the latter peculiar to lakes and 
deep waters. 
Older Botanills defcribe three fpecies, the ramofum, _ the non ramofum, and the minimum ; the non ramofum 
Linnajus confiders as a variety of his eredum; it is this plant which we here give a_ figure of, from a 
thorough convi£tion of its being a fpecies perfe&ly diftin6i from the common one, whether it differs fpecifically 
from the natans we do not take on us at prefent to determine : Mr. Lightfoot, who has feen the natans 
in many places in Scotland, pronounces it a fpecies ; Mr. Hudson, on the contrary, confiders it as a variety 
of the prefent plant ; — certain it is, foil and fituation will occafion an amazing difference in the appearance 
of plants we need only look at the Polygonum amphibium to be convinced of this ; when it grows on land 
its leaves are all ere6t, in the water they float ; the leaves of the Fefuca fluitans float in the fpring ; as the 
fummer advances they grow upright; poffibly the depth and confequent coldnefs of the water, with other 
circumftances, may occafion the prefent plant to affume the floating appearance which authors defcribe : — 
culture perhaps, can only decide this matter : — let the experiment turn out as it may, as there are found to 
be two’ fpecies with ereft leaves, it became neceffary to alter Linnaeus's names, which Mr. Hudson having 
judicioufly done we have adopted them. 
We {hall now point out the feveral charafters in which the prefent plant has appeared to us to differ from 
the ramofum. 
It differs in its place of growth, 
In its fize. 
In the colour and fhape of its leaves, 
In the branchednefs of its flower-ftalks, and 
In the colour of the male and female flowers. 
The commom Bur- Reed grows in almoft every ditch in the neighbourhood of London, the fmall one on 
the contrary is found only in particular fpots, particularly in fuch pools of water as one meets with on 
heaths, and which are frequently made by the digging of gravel, along with the Myriophyllum, the Alifma 
Damafonium, Sifon inundatum. Scirpus fluitans, &c. It particularly abounds on Batterfea Common, juft 
before you enter Wandfworth on the left-hand fide from London, and flowers during the whole of the 
fummer. 
It is feldom found more than one fourth part fo high as the Sparganium ramofum. 
The leaves incline much more to a yellow colour, and inftead of being holjow on two fides near the bafe, 
as thofe of the ramofum are, they are flat, fo that a tranfverfe fedion forms a triangle with nearly plain fides -, 
we look on this as its beft fpecific chara&er. Such as have opportunities of obferving the natans, will do 
well to obferve whether its leaves are fimilar near the bafe. 
Each flower-ftalk fupports only a fingle globule of male or female flowers ; the lowermoft which fppport 
the female flowers vary confiderably in length, being fometimes more than an inch long, and at other times 
feffile. 
The flowers before they blow look yellow, and have none of that blacknefs about them, fo confpicuous in 
thofe of the ramofum : they are alfo larger in proportion. 
