260 TETRANDRIA. TETRAGYNIA. Sagina. 
P. pusil'lum. Leaves strap-shaped, opposite and alternate, distinct, 
expanding from the base: stem cylindrical: (flower-stalks axil¬ 
lary, mostly lateral, many times longer than their spikes. E.) 
E. Bot. 215— Vaill, 32. 4— Pet. 5. 11. 
(Smaller than most of its congeners. E.) Whole plant extremely slender. 
Stem much branched, striated, (one to two feet long. E.) Leaves very 
narrow, pointed, extremely expanding at the base, sometimes almost 
bent back. Stipules broader than the leaves, short, membranous. Spike 
short. Woodw. Leaves rather longer than the joints of the stem, not at 
all sheathing it ; (with solitary, slender, lateral ribs. E.) Fruit-stalks 
sheathed at the base by two concave, membranous, spear-shaped scales, 
which Smith considers stipulse, being found within the base of all the 
leaves, but are probably calculated to answer the purposes both of 
stipulfe and floral-leaves, as lateral fruit-stalks rise from within them. 
Spiikes terminal, nearly globular, about three-flowered. 
Small Pond-weed. (Welsh: Dyfr-llys eiddil. E.) Ponds in clayey 
soil. E.) *' P. June—Aug. 
RUP'PIA.^ Cal . none : Bloss . none : Seeds four, pedicellate. 
R. marit'tma. 
{Hook. FI. Lond. 50. E.)— F. Bot. 136— FI. Dan. 364— Mich. 35— Pluk. 
248. 4— Pet. 6. I— Lob. Ohs. 653. 1, and Ic. ii. 255. 2 —Ger. Em. 1573. 7 
— Park. 1289. 5— Lightf. 8. 1— Fructif. Bay 6. 1. at p. 168. 
Flowers on each fruit-stalk, from one to four, though commonly two, one 
terminal, and one sessile. Stamens, germens, and seeds, four in each 
flower. This plant, when not in fruit, very much resembles Potamoge- 
tonpectinatum, var. marinum. Robson. (Like Valisneria, it lengthens or 
contracts its fruit-stalk according to the greater or less depth of the 
water. Gooden.; and, assuming a spiral form, the flowers and fruit are 
thus borne above the surface, sinking afterwards to deposit the seeds at 
the bottom. The fructification is highly curious and interesting, and 
beautifully illustrated in FI. Lond. E.) Leaves alternate,wery long and 
slender. Stems thread-shaped, branched, leafy. ( Stigmas rarely four 
only, though four or six are usually most prominent. G. E. Sm. Obs. and 
PI. I. E.) 
Tassel Pond-weed. Sea Tassel-grass. (Welsh: Rwppia morawl; 
Tusw-dyfr-llys. E.) Salt water ditches and pools. Near Yarmouth. 
Mr. Woodward. Cornwall. Mr. Stackhouse. Near the mouth of the 
Tees. Mr. Robson. (Pool near Birkenhead, opposite Liverpool. Mr. 
Burgess. Ditches below Wisbech. Mr. Skrimshire, in Bot. Guide. 
Ditches between Traeth Mawr and Pont Aberglaslyn. Bingley. Dykes 
near to the sea at Dimchurch, Kent. Mr. Gerard E. Smith. Anglesey. 
Welsh Bot. Guillon Links, Aberlady Bay. Maughan. Grev. Edin. E.) 
P. July—Aug. 
SAGPNA.f Calyx four-leaved: Petals four: Caps . one- 
celied : four-valved, many-seeded. 
* (In honour of the German physician, Henry Ruprius, author of “ Flora Jenensis,” 
&c. 1 72 6 . E.) 
•j* (From sagina, nutriment, it being supposed fattening to sheep 5 though perhaps 
originally designating some nutritious kind of grain. E.) 
