T h e perigonial leaves differ in no respect from th e re st, except in h aving a ventricose
base.
Perichceiial leaves a tta ch ed to tlie exte rior surface o f th e calyx o n which th ey grow, and
suiTountl it on all sides, so as en tire ly to conceal it : th ey a re e re c t and smaller th an
th e cauline leaves, b ut, in o th e r respects, m uch resembling th em ; th e in n e r ones,
howci'er, a re less deeply emarginate.
M a l e F r i îc t iv ic a t io n situ a ted in th e axillæ o f th e perigonial leaves, and mostly n e a r the
extrem ity o f th e stem. Anthers (f.f. 6. 7) sphe ric a l, re ticu la ted ; before th e discharge o f th e
pollen o f a pale d irty-gre en, a fterwards a yellow-brown. T h e fo o ts ta lk a b o u t th e len g th o f th e
a n th e r, w hite an d ti'ansversely sti iated.
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n te rm in a l .
Calyx (f. 8) ovate, imnieised in th e perichætial leaves, o f a th ic k carnose substance, in
consequence o f th e u n ited bases o f these leaves; th e mouth alone free and membranous,
and, as may be seen by a c areful section o f th e calyx and i t s . covering, c u t in to six or
e ig h t r a th e r la rge te e th , two o f which, I have, in several instances, obser?-ed to arise
fi om a la rg e r in te rio r appendage, somewhat resembling a leaf, b u t much nari'ower,
plane, and scarcely emai'ginate a t th e e.xtreniity.
Calyptra ovate, w hitish, delicate, re ticula ted, surrounded a t th e base by a few abortive
pistilla.
Peduncle seldom exceeding ha lf an inch in len g th , w hite , sh in in g , tran sre rse ly and
longitudinally s tria ted , te rm in a ted by a roundish
Capsule o f a b rown color,- furrowed on its ex te rio r surface, and opening in to fo u r equal
ovate valves.
Seeds (f, 10) spherical, fulvous, accompanied with spiral filaments o f th e same color,
composed of a double helix.
I t is rema rked by Dr. Smith, in English Botany, upo n th e au th o rity o f th e Linneean
Herbai'ium, th a t th is species was first found and named by Dr. Swa rtz , many years before i t was
published by E h rh a it. T h e same em in en t Swedish N a tu ra lis t, who has s e n t me m any specimens,
has, fa rth e r, looked u pon th e lu x u ria n t and da rk g re en appearance o f th is p la n t as a distin c t
va rie ty, and in his man u sc rip t has named ic fi aquatica*. Yet, no tw ith stan d in g such high
au th o rity , I find in te rm ed ia te sta te s o f th e jilant so common, and th e grada tions between th em
so imperceptible, a rising solely from th e g re a te r o r less degree o f moisture with which they are
supplied, th a t I am induced ra th e r to include the fi o f Swa rtz in my gen e ra l description, th an
follow his example in sepa ra ting it. T h e name g iven to this sjjecies by o u r countryman,
Mr. Dickson, who published i t as new in his second fasciculus, is so expressive o f one o f the
m o s t obvious o f its ch a racters, th a t th e re is m uch reason to re g re t th e necessity of laying i t aside.
* Dr. Schrader also describes what he considers a singular variety, found by him in the Hercynian Forest, in the
following terms t “ Hujus insignis varíelas in Hercyni® rivulorum saxis provenit, quae surculis fluitantibus,
ramosioribus, ab nnciali ad biuncialcm longitudinem protensis, et foliis laxioribus atro viridibus distinguitur.”
Spic. Fl. Germ. p. 75.
Dr, S chrader mentions having seen capsules occasionally la le ra l, which Dr, Roth a ttrib u te s to
innovations o f th e stem, an opinion in which I am th e more inclined to coincide, since I have
a t this moment, before me, a specimen from Mr. Lyell, whicli has young fi’uctification, and,
immediately below th e calyx, a cluste r o f th re e or fo u r young shoots, a rising from th e axilla o f a
leaf. These would, in th e course o f a little tim e , have given such an appearance o f a continua tion
o f th e stem, th a t th e fructification m ig h t, w ith o u t a careful inspection, have been supposed to be
la te ra l. T h e same a u th o r also describes the stems as really simple, and merely ta k in g the
appearance o f b e in g branched from th e ir ann u a l innovations, in which he is also probably rig h t.
Besides th e sin g u la ily la rg e and b ra n d lin g roots, already noticed, o f J . emarginata, th e shajie
o f th e leaves (which E h rh a rt aptly compaies to a h e a rt c u t o u t o f pape r), and th e immersed
calyces, afford charactcra so decisive, th a t th is may be considered as a species th e most d istinc t o f
any in th e genus. In gen e ra l h ab it, indeed, and somewhat in th e shape o f its leaves, i t has an
affinity w itli J . concinnata, b u t so s lig h t a one, th a t i t will be needless for me to enlarge more
u po n th e subject.
In A u g u st, 1808, Mr. B orre r and myself found, upo n th e sum m it o f Ben Nevis, small specimens
o f this p lan t, whose calyces conta ined two, and sometimes th re e , fertile germens, and, w h a t was
more rema rkable , capsules o f vei’y diminutive size, s itua ted ujion peduncles so sh o rt th a t they
were n o t equal to th e len g th o f th e calyx; yet these capsules w ere fully formed, and some o f them
were even discharging th e ir seeds an d filaments whilst u n d e r tlie microscope. This appearance u
represented a t f. I I .
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
Male plant o f J . emarginata, natural size.
Sterile p la n t, natural size.
Female p la n t, natural size.
The same, ma g n ified ................................................................................................................. G
L e a f .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Perfect anther ....................................................................................................................... 1
Anthe r, afte r i f has discharged its pollen .................................................................... 1
Interior o f a calyx ................................................................................................................ 4
Calyx and perichceiial le a f .................................................................................................. 5
Seeds and spiral filaments ............................................................................................... 1
Receptacle, with the calyx torn away to exhibit the small capsules .................. 3