ZOSTERA MARINA. COMMON GRASS-WRACK.
ZOSTERA marina, foliis integerrimis subtrinerviis, caule teretiusculo. Willd.
a. foliis angustioribus, obsolete trinerviis, ( f . 1.)
ZOSTERA marina. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1374. I t . Westrogoth. p . 166. t. 4. ƒ . 1. Huds. Fl. Angl.
p. 395. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4. vol. 3. p. 486. Lig h tf. Scot. p. 530. Hull B r . Bot. ed. 2.
p. 264. Smith Fl. B r it. p. 7. Engl. Bot. t. 467. Oedet'Fl. Dan. t. 15. Roth Getm.
tool. 2. p. 214. Wahl. Lapp. p. 220. Hoffm. Germ. p. 321. Willd. Sp. P i. vol. 4.
p. 179- Decand. Fl. Fr. vol. 3. p. 154. Decand. Fl. Gall. Syn. p. i49. B r . Prodr,
F l.. Nov. Holl. p , 338. Poiret in Enc. B ot. vol. 8. p. 873.
PHUCAGROSTIS minor. Caulin. de P hucagr.p. 14. t. 2.
ALGA. Raii Syn. p . 52.
ALGA angustifolia vitrariorum. R aii Syn. p. 346.
FUCUS marina seu Alga marina graminea minor. R aii Syn, p. 52.
FUCUS sive Alga marina graminea angustifolia seminifera ramosior. Raii Syn. p. 52.
PO TAMOGE ITON marinum in utriculis epiphyllospermon minus. Raii Syn. p. 53.
/3. foliis latioribus, evidentissime trinerviis. fi. 2. 3.
Dan. Tang. Strandgraes. Tangbandcl. Dut. Zcezcier. Zeegras. Strandgrass. Fr. Zostière. Chiendent
marin. Germ. D e r Seetang. Meertang. Tang. Meergras. Wier. Norw. Tang. Thare.
Strandgras. Alegrces. Scotch. Tang. Swed. Tang. Tare. Grasia. Fake. Fyk. Welsh. Gwellt
y gamlas. Ysnoden las-werdd y môr.
Class and Ord e r . MONOE C IA MONANDRIA.
[N atüral Ord er. FLUVIALES. Flores monoici rarius dioici. Cal. proprie dictus nullus. Sem. unicum,
inversum sive appensum. Embr. antitropus (seu radicula ad punctum hilo seminis contrarium versa). Rich. in
Mus. d’IIist. N at. f asc. 5.]
G e n . Ciia r . Spatha foliacea. Cal. nullus. Cor. nullus. Flosculi spadici unilaterali inserti.
Mas. Antheree ovatæ.
F em. Germen ovatum. »Sïy/w$bifidus. Caps, monosperma.
Radix fibrosa, fibris parvis, simplicibus, pallide fuscis.
Caüles bi-tripedales, teretes, glabri, basi decumbentes,
geniculati, geniculis radicantibus, superne erecti,
foliosi, foliis natantibus.
Folia palmaria ad spithamæa, duas ad très lineas lata,
graminea, alterna, basi longe vaginantia, linearia,
flexuosa, glabra, integerrima, apice obtusa, per.
totam longitudinem, in a obsolete, in ß di-
stinctissime trinervia, nervis per venas transversas
' connexis. Color . foliorum obscure viridis,
siccitate nigrescens. '
Flores monoici ; masculi tarnen et feminei in duabus
lineis longitudinalibus dispositi,. utçique ejusdem
spadicis communis faciei superiori inserti,fig . 20.
Spadix e rima foliorum spathæ vicem gerente, biuncia-
lis et ultra, linearis, subacuminatus, crassiuseulus,
succulentes, cellulosus, dorso convexo, supra pla-
■ .nus, linea in medio canaliculatus.
Antheræ, fig . 4., singulo spadice.decem .ad viginti et
. ultra, sessiles, dorso prope apicem affixæ, atque
idcirco pendentes, oblongæ, sæpe subcymbi-
formes: sed figura multo variant, plerumque utrin-
que attenuatæ, extrem itäte inferiore nunc incur-
va, fig . 7. juniores virides, maturæ flavescentes,
uniloculares, ruptura irregulari in superficie su-
periore déhiscentes, per quam exit pollen minu-
tissimum filamentis pellucidis ramosis immixtum,
Ä - : 5, 5.
Ovaria, fig . 10. quinque ad decem, sessilia, dorso
prope apicem affixa, pendentia, oblonga, cylin-
dracea, utrinque magis minusve attenuate, unilq-
cularià, monosperma.
Stylus brevis, stigmatibus duobus filiformibus, longis,
varie flexuosis, terminatus.
Pericarpium : Drupa utricularis (seu Utricula), cy-
lindracea, parum succosa, lævis, viridis, demum
membranaceo-carnosa, siccitate sti'iata, sæpe
stylo et stigmatis portione rostrata, unilocularis,
evalvis, monosperma.
Semen : N ux ovato-elliptica, utrinque obtusa, pendens,
(inversa, Rich.) parti superiori pericarpii affixa,
et ejusdem fere magnitudine, striata, albida,
, fig- 14.
INTEGUMÎENTUM duplex: exterius,^. 14, 15. durum,
corneum, Iongitudinaliter distincte, et transver-
sim minutissime, striatum : interius huic conforme,
sed membranaceum, subreticulatum, valide
pellucidum, fig . 16, 17- apice tuberculo minute.
Embryo, fig . 15. subovata, carnosa, basi truncata, et
pro receptione tuberculi, (“ tubercule basilaire
du podosperme,” Rich.) depressa. Cotyledon
(radicula, Rich.) hincrimalongitudinaliinstructa
ut fere semibiloba dicatur, fig . 18, 19.
Plumula e centi’O rimoe orta filiformis, primum et intra
rimam déflexa, sursum recurva, et ad rimas oras
appressa.
Radicula,- fig . 19. inféra, seu ad punctum hilo seminis
contrarium 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,, obtuse
at the extremity, throughout the whole
length, obsoletely in «, in„/3 distinctly three-
nerved, the nerves connected by transverse veins.
The colour o f the leaves is an obscure green, be-
■ coming black when-dry.
Flowers monoicous; but the male and female-are inserted
in two longitudinal lines on the superior
surface of a common spadix, fig. 20.
Spadix from a cleft of the leaves resembling a spathe,
two inches long and upwards, linear, subacuminate,
thickish, succulent, cellulose, convex on the
back, above plane, with a central channelled line.
Anthers, fig . 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 figure, generally
attenuate at 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.
Styl e short, terminated with two long filiform stigmas,
which are variously flexuose.
Pericarp : 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 o f the same
size, striated, white, fig . 14.
Integument double: the exterior one, fig . 14. 15.
hai'd, corneous, longitudinally distinctly, and
transversely minutely, striated: the interior one
resembling this in shape, but membranaceous,
somewhat reticulate, very pellucid, fig . 16. 17.
at the apex having a small tubercle.
Embryo, ^ -. 15, nearly ovate, carnose, truncate at 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,j^. 18. 19 -
P lumule originating in the centre o f the cleft, filiform
a t 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.