ZOSTERA MARINA. COMMON GRASS-WRACK.
ZOSTERA marina, foliis integerrimis subtrinerviis/ caule teretiusculo. Willd.
k. foliis angustioribus, obsolete trinerviis, (fi. 1 .)
ZOSTERA marina. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1374. I t. Westrogoth. p. 166. t. 4. / . 1. Buds. Pi. An»i.
p. 395. With. Bot. Arr. ed. 4. ml. 3. p. 486. Light/. Scot. p. 530. Hull Br Bot cd°v
p. 264. Smith FI. Brit. p. 7. Engl. Bot. t. 467. Oeder FI. Dan. t. 15. Roth 'Germ
v o L j p. 214. JVahl.Lapp. p. 220. Hoffm. Germ. p. 321. Willd. Sp. Pi. ml. 4.
p . 179. Decand. Fl. Fr. vol. 3. p. 154. Decand. FI. Gall. Sun. p. 149. B r Prodr
FI. Nov. Boll. p. 338. Poiret in Enc. Bot. vol. 8. p. 873.
PIIUCAGROSTIS minor. Caulin. de Phucagr.p. 14. t. 2.
ALGA. Rail Syn. p . 52.
ALGA angustifolia vitrariorum. Rail Syn. p . 346.
FUCUS marina seu Alga marina graminea minor. Raii Syn. p . 52.
FUCUS sive Alga marina graminea angustifolia seminifera ramosior. Raii Syn. p. 52.
POFAMOGEITON marinum in utriculis epiphyllospermon minus. Raii Syn.p. 53.
(3. foliis.latioribus, evidentissime trinerviis. ƒ 2 . 3.
Dan. Tang. Strandgraes. TanglxrM. Dot. Zeewier. Zcegras. Strandgrm. Fr. Z n tiln . Chien-
dent marin. Germ. D e r Seetang. Mccrtang. Tang. Meergras. JVier. Norw. Tan»- Tharc
otramgras. Alegrees. Scotch. Tang. Swed. Ting. Tare. Grdsia. Fate. Fyk. Wellh. Gwelit
y gamlas. Ysnoden las-werdd y mdr. - ,
Class a n d Ord e r . MONOECIA MONANDRIA.
[N atural Ord er . FLUVIALES. Flores monoid rarius dioici. Cal. proprie dictus nullus. Sem. unicum,
nversum sive appensum. Embr. antitropus (seu radiculaad punctum liilo seminis contrarium versa). Rich in
Mus. a Hist. Nat. jasc . 5.]
G en . Cha r. Spat ha foliacea. Cal. nullus. Cor. nullus. Flosculi spadici unilateraliinserti.
Mas. Anthera ovatæ.
Fem. German ovatum. Stylus bifidus. Caps, monosperma.
Radix fibrosa, fibris parvis, simplicibus, pallide fuscis.
Gaules bi-tripedales, teretes, glabri, basi decumbentes,
geniculati, geniculis radicantibus, superne erecti,
fpliosi, foliis natantibus.
Folia palmaria a.d spithamæa, duas ad très lineas lata,
graminea, alterna, basi longe vaginantia, linearia,
flexuosa, glabra, integerrima, apice obtusa, per
totam- longitudinem, in « obsolete, in ß di-
- stinctissime trinervia, nervis per venas transver-
sas connexis. Color foliorum obscure viridis,
siccitate nigrescens. '
Flores, monoid ; masculi tarnen et feminei in duabus
lineis longitüdinalibus dispositi, utrique ejusdem
spadicis communis faciei superiori inserting-. 2 0 .
SPADix.e rima foliorum spathæ vicem gerente, biuncia-
lis et ultra, linearis, subacuminatus, crassiusculus,
succulentus, cellùlosus, dorso convexo, supra.planus,
linea in ;medio canaliculatus.. .
Antheræ, fig . 4., singulo spadice decern ad viginti et
ultra, sessiles, dorso prope apicem affixæ, atque
idcirco pendentes, oblongæ, sæpe subeymbi-
formes: sed figura multo variant, plerumque utrin-
que attenuatæ, extremitate inferiore nunc incur-
•va> fig- 7• juniores virides, maturæ flavescentes,
uniloculares, ruptura irregulari in superficie su-
periore déhiscentes, per quam exit pollen minu-
tissimum filamentispellucidis ramosis immixtum,
. 6.
Ovaria, fig . 10. quinque ad decern, sessilia, dorso
prope apicem affixa, pendentia, oblonga, cylin-
dracea, utrinque magis minusve attenuata, unilo-
cularia, monosperma.
Stylus brevis, stigmatibus duobus filiformibus, longis,
varie flexuosis, terminatus.
Pe rica rpium : Drupa utricularis (seu Utricula), cy-
lindracea, parum succosa, lævis, viridis, demum
membranaceo-carnosa, siccitate striata, sæpe
stylo et stigmatis portione rostrata, unilocularis,
evalvis, monosperma.
Semen : Nux ovato-elliptica, utrinque obtusa, pendens,
(inversa, Rich.') parti superiori pericarpii affixa,
et ejusdem fere magnitudine, striata, albida,
T fig■ 14.
I ntegumentum duplex: exterius,j£g. 14, 1 5 . durum,
corneum, longitudinaliter distincte, et transver-
sim minutissime, • striatum : interius huic conforme,
sed membranaceum, subreticulatum, val-
de pellucidum, fig . 16, 17. apice tuberculo minutai
Embryo, fig , 15. subovata, carnosa, basi truncata, et
pro receptione tuberculi, (“ tubercule basilaire
du podosperme,” fiich.) depressa. Cotyledon
(radicula, Rich.) hiilc rima longitudinali instructa
ut fere semibiloba dicatur,^. 18, 19 .
P lumula e centro rimæ orta filiformis, primum et intra
rimam deflexà, sursum recurva, et ad rimæ oras
appressa.
Radicula, fig. 19 . inféra, seu ad punctum hilo seminis
contrariiun versa.
Root fibrous, the fibres small, simple, pale brown.
Stems from two to three feet,. round, smooth, at the
base decumbent, geniculate, the joints throwing
, . out roots, upward erect, leafy, the leaves floating?
Leaves from four inches to a span long, two to three
. - lines wide, grass-like, alternate,; much sheathing
• at the base, linear, flexuose, smooth, entire, ob-
. ..tuse at the extremity, throughout the whole
length, obsoletely in a, in /3 distinctly three-
. nerved, the nerves connected by transverse veins.
The colour of the leaves is an obscure green, becoming
black when dry.
Flowers monoieous; but the male and female are inserted
in two longitudinal lines on the superior
surface-of a common spadix, fig. 2 0 .
Spadix from a cleft o f the leaves resembling a spathe,
two inches long and upwards, linear, subaeumi,-
nate, thickisb, succulent, cellulose, convex on the
back, above plane, with a central channelled line.
Anthers, ^ . 4, upon each spadix from ten to twenty
and upwards, sessile, affixed to the back near,the
apex and thus pendent, oblong, often somewhat
boat-shaped: but they vary much in fi<mre, ge-
nerally attenuate a t each end, with the lower extremity
sometimes incurved, fig . 7. the younger
ones are green, afterwards yellowish, one-celled,
opening with an irregular orifice on the upper
surface, and discharging an exceedingly minute
pollen,, mixed with pellucid branched filaments
‘ fig. 5. 6.
Ovaries, fig. 10, from five to ten affixed by the back
near the apex, pendent, oblong cylindrical, at
each end more or less attenuate, one-celled, one-
seeded.
Style short, terminated with two long filiform stigmas,
which are variously flexuose.
Pe r ic a r p : a bladder-like Drupe (or Utricule), cylindrical,
rather succose, smooth, green, at length
between membranaceous and carnose, when dry-
striated, often ending in a beak by means of a
portion of the style and stigmas, one-celled
without valves, one-seeded.
Se e d : an ovato-elliptical Nut, obtuse at each end,
pendent, (inverse, Rich.) affixed to the superior
part of the pericarp, and nearly of the same
size, striated, white, fig . 14.
I ntegument double: the exterior one, fig. 1 4 . 1 5 .
hard, corneous, longitudinally distinctly, and
transversely minqtely, striated: the interior one
resembling this in shape, but membranaceous,
somewhat reticulate, very pellucidj fig. 16. 1 7 !
at the apex having a small tubercle.
Embryo, 15, nearly ovate, carnose, truncate a t the
base, and hollowed for the reception of a tubercle,
(“ tubercule basilaire du podosperme,”
Rich.) depressed. Cotyledon (radicula, Rich.)
on one side having a longitudinal cleft so that it
may almost be called semi-bilobed,fig . 18. 19 .
P lumule originating in the centre o f the cleft, filiform
at first, and within the, cleft bent down, then recurved
and appressed to the edges of the cleft.
Radicle inferior, or in a direction opposite to that of
the scar of the seed.