Sp a r g a n ium R a mo sum. G r e a t B u r -R e e d .
SPARGANIUM Lin. Gen. PI. Monoecia T riand ria .
Masc. Amentum fubrotundum. Cai. 3-phyllus. Cor. o.
Fem. Amentum fubrotundum. Cal. 3-phyllus. Cor. o. Stigma
2-fidum. Drupa exfucca, l-fperma.
RaiiSyn. Graminifoli/e non culmiferve singuläres et su i .generis.
SPARGANIUM ramofum foliis bafi triangularibus,^lateribus concavis, pedunculis ramofis.
SPARGANIUM ereSlum foliis ereftis triquetris. Lin. Syfl. Vegetab. p. 702. Sp. PL p. 1378.
FI. Suec. n. 831.
SPARGANIUM caule foliifque ere&is. Haller hiß. 1303.
SPARGANIUM ereblum. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 1146.
SPARGANIUM ramofum. Bank. Pin. 15. Ger. emac. 45. Parkihf. 1205. Raii Syn. 437.
Branched Bur-Reed. Hudfon Fl. Angl. cd. 2. p. 401. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 53 9 .
RADIX perennis, repens, radiculis fibrillis numero- ROOT perennial, and creeping, the fmall roots
fiflimis inftru&is. ^ <> furnifhed with very numerous fibres.
CULMUS bipedalis,; tripedalis, et ultra, ereftus, STA LK two, three feet high, or more, upright,
teres, glaber, foliofus, foliis tribus circiter, ^ ' round, fmooth, leafy, leaves about three in
prater braftasas. ‘ number befides the floral leaves.
FOLIA radicalia erefia, faturate viridia, culmo duplo a LEAVES next the'root upright, of a deep green co-
fere longiora, bafi vaginantia, equitantia, <s> lour, almoft twice the length o f the Hem,
paulo.fupra bafin fere ad apicem ufque tri- Y fhe,athy at bottom and riding one on the
quetra, latere interiore planiufculo, duobus ? other, from the bafe nearly, almoft to the
extericJribus concavis. | ;; top three-cornered, the inner fide almoft flat,
0 the two outermoft hollow.
BRACTE/E quatuor circiter, foliis caulinis fublimiles, | FLORAL-LEAVES about four in number, fome-
inferioribus longioribus. a what like the leaves of the ftalk, the lowera
1110ft longeft.
FLORES monoici, in capitula colle&i, fpicati. a FLOWERS monoicous, formed into little heads,
_ v and growing in fpikes.
PEDUNCULI axillares, alterni, flexuofi, multiflori, ^ FLOWER-STALKS growing from the bofoms o f
capitulis feflilibus, inferioribus femineis, the leaves, alternate, crooked, fupporting
i duobus aut tribus, fuperioribus mafculis p lu - I many flowers, the little heads felfile, the
ribus; pedunculi fupremi flores mafculos ■ lowermoft ones female, two or three in
tantum. gerunt. y number, the uppermoft ones male, and more
P numerous ; the uppermoft flower-ftalks bear
_ X only male flowers.
CALYX Flor. Mafc.' _ Amentum commune, fubro- $ CALYX of the Male Flowers. One common roundilh
■ tundum, undique denfiflime imbricatum, ^ Catkin, clofely imbricated on every fide, and
conftans Perianthiis propriis plerumque tri- a compofed of numerous individual Perianthia,
phyllis, bafi linearibus, apice ovato-acutis, v conufting for the molt part of three leaves,
! deciduis, fig. 1. au£ti ' a linear at the bafe, ovate and pointed at top,
. . . Y and deciduous, fig. 1. magnified. I
COROLLA nulla. | COROLLA none. 8
STAMINA: Filamenta plerumque tria, capillaria, STAMINA: ufually three capillary Filaments,
longitudine calycis ; A n th e r as oolongae, ^ the length of the calyx; A n the ral oblong,
r fl^vse, fig . 2. (1 . ' • yellow, fig. 2.
CALYX Flor. Fern. Perianthium ut in mafculo, at | CALYX o f the Female Flowers. A Perianthium as
j bafi latior, magis concavus, nec deciduus, ^ in the males, but broader at the bafe, more
§ ■ » 1 3- ? concave, and not deciduous, fig. 3.
r liT IL LUM : G ermen oblongo-ovatum, angula- ^ PISTILLUM: G ermen oblongo-ovate, angular,
tum, definens in Stylum brevem fubula- terminating in a fhort tapering St y l e ;
tum; Stigma oblongum ad unum latus § Stigma oblong, villous on one fide, fig;. 4.
villofum, fig. 4. * $ J °
PiiRICARPIUM: Drupa exfucca, turbinata cum f SEED-VESSEL: ajuicelefs D rupe, turban-fhaped
Qr' a c u m m e , inferne angulata, fig. 5. a and pointed ; angular below, fig. c.
1EN ; Nuces duae, olfeae, oblongo-ovatae, fig . 6. » SEEDS : two bony Nuts, of an oblong ovate fliape,
; $■ fig . 6.
The Sparganium ramofum having a very flrong creeping root, is one of thofe plants which very foon fill
p a ditch 01 piece of water, if fullered to remain unmolefted; we have not feen it more plentiful any where
than in the Ifle of Dogs, the ditches of which are full of it.
We know of no ufe to which it is applicable.
1 is liable to be eaten by fome kind of larva whofe hiftory we have not yet difcovered, the leaves
l C- oiVa f r 2 Tenthredo unknown to us* as well as by the larva o f the Phalcena Fefiucce— two of which
n ' / lrC1l7 ff ,sflateA / ethlS year’ ^ ugüft 24» l‘| Ä found in a web under the leaves of the plant, in*a
pondnearMalden in Effex; and on the leaves o f the fame plant, atthefame time and place, DuG oodenough
a royielt were fo fortunate as to. find two fpecimens of that rare infeft the Sphex fißpes Linncei.
The male flowers vary much in the number of their ftamin
thé calyx. and both forts in the number of the leaves of
In treating o f the Typha latifolia, we promifed, when we gave a. figure of this plant, to inform oUr readers'
wnether its feeds vegetated : we have fince then had art opportunity of obferving one of its heads as it lay
m a wet Iituation, allume a green colour, which, on a careful examination, it was found to owe to the feeds
saving juft begun to vegetate.