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.
M A R S I L E A PO LY C A R P A.
F I L I C E S .— M a r s i l e a c e æ . B r . R h i z o s p e h m e æ , . R o l l i . , D e C a n d ., S p r e n g .
H y d r o p t e i i i d e s . I V i l ld .
G e n . C h a k . M A R S I L E A , Schreb., Br. M A R S I L E M Sp., Linti. L E M M A , Juss.
Involucrum subovatum, clausuin, inultiloculare, loculis biseriatis, androgyiiis. A n lh e r a ?
numerosa;, conferta;, se ssile s, unilocularcs, cvalves? p ollin e g lob o so . O va ria serie simplici
anthcris utrinque stipata, sessilia, ovalia, sub membrana duplici materia granulosa repleta.
Siirculus repens. F o lia quatcrnata, elongato-petiolata. Involucra p e liolo insidentia, v. axilla ria .
M a r s il e a p o iy c a r p a ; folio lis lato-cuneatis glabris, p e tio lis e longatis involucra ovali-globosa brevi-
pcdunculata numerosa secunda profercntibus.
H a b . In fo ssis, apud Dcmcrara, legerunt C. S . P a rk a -, A rm . ct Gul. H ancock, M .D .
Caudex vel Surcidus repens, filiformis, gracilis, inferne radicans: radicibus numerosis descendentibus elongatis
valde fibrillosis.
Frondes e.-c parte supei’iore caudicis assurgentes, r em o te . P etio lu s (v el si mavis Caudex) spithamoeus et ultra,
glaber, erectus, gracilis, bine seiniteves, illinc plaiius, medio canaliculatus. Fo lío la quaterna in orbem
disposita, patentia, lato-cuneata, obtusissimn, glabra, integra v e l eroso-laciniala.
lìvoólucì-a numerosa, omnia petiolo insidentia e x uno latere orta, secunda, subbrevipedunculata, ovali-globosa,
statu juniore liispido-pilosa, adulta nudiuscula, fusca, edentula, plurllocularia, lo culis transversalibus in
duas series dispositis, androgynis. Anthei-oe (?) et Capsidæ (?) cum ejus seminibus, fere omnino u t in M . vestita
(T ab. C L IX .) .
Fig . 1. Po rtio petioli cum involucris duobus adultis. f. 2 . Involucrum junius. f. 3. Involucrum maturum
transversim sectum. f. 4. Id em verticaliter sectum. f. 5. Ca p sid a ? cum ejus A nthe ris? f. G. Antliera?
cum polline, f. 7. Capsula? rupta seminaque? f. S. I n v o lu o um cum funículo vasorum, cui Capsuloe? et
Antheroe aiRxoe :— magn. auct.
T ills m o st rare and interesting species o f M a rsile a is a native o f the tropical parts o f South
America, and was first made kn ow n to us by om- valued friend, (whose name we have often had
occasion to mention during the progress o f this work,) C. S. Parker, Esq . H is specimens, indeed,
produced only y ou n g ca p su le s; but they and the frond were in an exc e llent stage for examination
and description. For th e older state o f the capsules we are indebted to Dr. W illiam Han co ck , who
found th em in the same country and in th e same situation as Mr. Parker found h is. Th e insertion
o f the fruit is very remarkable, and very u n lik e any other species o f th e genus with which we are
acquainted.
II