LIMOSELLA AQUATICA. MUD-WORT,
LIMOSELLA aquatica; foliis lanceolato-spalhulatis, scapis foliis brevioribus. W illi.
LIMOSELLA aquatics. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 881. FI. Suec. n. 563. FI. Lapp. n. 249. Huds. Angl.
'» 276. Lig h t/. Scot. p. SSI. With. Bot. A r r . ed. 4. ml. S. p. 547. Gmel. Sib.
ml. 4. p. 72. Oed. FI. Van. t. 69-■ Mohr I d . p. 197. Roth Germ. H 2. p. 57.
Lam. lllrntr. t. 535. Smith FI. B r it. p. 668. Engl. Bot. t. 357. Willd. Sp. PI.
ml. S. p. 341. Decani. FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 3.p. 576; FI. Gall. Spn. p. 230. P e n .
■ Syn. PI. ml. 2.p. 167. Alton Hort. K m . ed. 2. ml. i . p . 51.
LIMOSELLA. n. 300. .
P LA N TA G IN E L LA palustris. Raii. Sj/n.p. 278.
Dut. Slykcrljc. Fr. L a Limosellc. Germ. Das Samp/kraut.
Class and Order. D ID Y N AM IA ANGIOSPERMIA.
[N atural Order. PERSON-ATÆ, Decand. SCROPHULARINÆ, Brrnm. LYSIMACI-IIÆ, ■ Jitsr.]
Gen Char. Calyx quinquefidus, æqualis. Corolla brevitercampanulata, quinquefida, æqualis. Stamina tlidy-
namia vel subiequalia, quandoque duo. • Stigma capitatum. Capsula semibiloculans, bivalvis, vaivis integns,
septo parallelo, incompleto. Brown Prodr.
Radix annua, fibrosa.
Caüles repentes, filiformes, stoloniferæ.
Folia radicalia in cæspitem laxam congesta, carnosa,
glabra, flavo-viridia, integerrima, elli pticavel etiam
spathulata, longe petiolata, petiolis biuncialibus,
flexuosis, basi dilatatis.
Pedunduli radicales, foliorum petiolis duplo breviores,
teretes, glabri.
Flores solitarii, exigui. % . .
CaLYX quinquedentatus, viridis, sinubus purpureis.
Corolla brevitèr campanulata, limbo quinquefido,
patenti, segmentis vix inæqualibus, carneis, sinubus
intense pui’pureis.
Stamina quatuor, vix didynamia, tubo inserta: fila-
menta brevia alba. Antheræ crateriformes, com-
pressæ, violaceæ, apice transversim hiantes, uni-
loculares. Pollen flavescens.
Germen subrotundum, viride, evidenter (basi solum-
modo, St. Hilaire) biloculare. Dissepimentum
vaivis paiallelum. ‘Stylus capsula brevior, fili-
formis. Stigma capitatum.
PeriçarpiüM: Gapsula subrotunda, bivalvis, vaivis e
dissepimenti marginibus secedentibus, et tunc
capsula quasi unilocularis. Receptaculum magnum,
fuingosum, scrobiculatum, dissepimento j
utrinque adnatum, parte superna liberum.
Semina parva, numerosa, oblonga, compressa, pallide
• fusca, transversim pulcherrime striata, facie in-
ferna linea media longitudinali inscripta, dorso
lineà elevata notata.
Integumentum coriaceo-membranaceum.
Albumen carnosum, semini copforme.
Embryo magnus, inclusus, rectus, prope medium albu-
minis: Cotyledones breves, semicylindricoe : Radi
cul a inféra..
Root annual, fibrous.
Stem creeping, filiform, stoloniferous.
Leaves radical, collected into a lax tuft; camose,
smooth, yellow green, entire, elliptical, or even
spathulate, on long footstalks, the footstalks two
inches long, flexuose, dilated at the base.
Peduncles radical, twice as short as the petioles of
the leaves, round, smooth.
Flowers solitary, small.
Calyx quinquedentate, green, the sinuses purple.
Corolla shortly campanulate, the limb quinquefid,
patent, ■ the segments scarcely unequal, flesh-
coloured, the sinuses deep purple.
Stamens four,scarcely didynamous,inserted in the tube:
Filaments short, white: Anthers cup-shaped,
compressed, violet-coloured, opening at the apex
transveresly, one-celled. Pollen yellowish.
Germen roundish, green, evidently (at the base only,
St. Hilaire) two-celled. Dissepiment parallel
with the valves. Style shorter than, the capsule,
filiform. Stigma capitate.
Pericarp: Capsule roundish, two-valved, with the
valves separating from the margins o f the dissepiment,
and then the capsule is, as it were, one-
celled. Receptacle large, fungous, scrobiculate,
affixed on each side to the dissepiment, the upper
part free.
Seeds small, numerous, oblong, compressed, pale
brown, beautifully striated transversely, the lower
surface impressed with a middle longitudinal
line, the back marked with an elevated one.
Integument between coriaceous and membranaceous.
Albumen carnose, of the same shape as the seed.
Embryo large, included, straight, near the middle of the
albumen: Cotyledons short, semicylindrical:
Radicle inferior.
ffitr, i. Calyx cut open to show the germen. Fig. 2. Corolla laid open to show the stamens. Fig. 3. Anther.
°Fiw 4. Germen. Fig. 5. The same cut horizontally near the base, showing the dissepiment. Fig. 6. Capsule
bursting and showing the seeds. Fig. 7. Capsule with the valves spread open, some of the seeds being removed
to show the receptacle. Fig. 8. Under side of a seed. Fig. 9- Upper side of ditto. Fig. 10. Seed cut open
to show the albumen and embryo, magn.
A small inconspicuous plant, growing.in low places that are overflowed during a considerable portion of the
year frequently in company with Littorella lacustris, producing both flower and seed in abundance at the same
time and in perfection during the summer months. Its blossoms are particularly minute, and I can scarcely satisfy
myself that either the calyx or corolla is otherwise than regular. .
Jussieu has placed the Limosella aquatica among the natural order Lysimachioe, but hinted at its affinity to the
genus Scrophularia. Decandolle has arranged it among the Personatee, and Brown has done the same ; but the
latter, by uniting that order with the R hinant h uceæ ( Pedicular es, Juss.), has brought this plant under his Scrophu-
larince, where he remarks, that in a natural series it approaches the Pinguiculoe. M. Auguste St. Hilaire, in an
admirable memoir “ sur les plantes auxquelles on attribue un placenta central libre,'* published in the second volume
of Mémoires du Museum d'H istoire Naturelle, fully coincides with our countryman, and adds, “ Toute autre
Scropkularinéc se rapprocherait sans doute des Lentibulariées par l’irrégularité de sa fleur ; mais la seule Limoselle
offrant tout à la fois dans sa capsule les caractères des Scrophularinées et ceux du Pinguicula et de YUtriculaire,
aide à former une chaîne non interrompue depuis les Primulacées les plus régulières jusqu’aux Scrophularinées. Cette
capsule, qui inférieurement est uniloculaire avec deux placentas, comme chez les espèces de cette dernière famille,
et qui dans sa partie supérieure est, comme les Primulacées, uniloculaire avec un seul placenta central, cette capsule,
dis-je, présente aussi dans son organisation intime quelques traits appartenant aux deux mêmes familles.”
The specimens here figured were communicated from the vicinity of Amberley Castle, Sussex, by Mr. Borrer,
in the summer of 1S11. I t is not a plant of very rare occurrence,