RUPPIA MARITIMA. TASSEL PONDWEED.
R U P P IA maritima.
RU P P IA maritima. L im . Sp. PI. p. 184. Fl. Suec. ml. 2. p. 154. Huds. Angl, p 77. L ig h iß
■ Scot,, p. 124. t. 8. (icon© mala.), With. Bot. A rr. cd. 4. vol.%. p. Q>\%. Smith Fl. B rit.
p. 198. Engl. Bot. 1 .136. Roth Fl. Germ: ml. 2. 7;..208. Willd. Sp. PI. ml. 1. p. 717:
Decand. Fl. Fr. cd. 3. ml. 3. p. 183. Fl. Gail. Syn. p. 155. Pers. Syn. PI. ml. 1. p. 152;
Alton Hort. K m . ed'%. ml. I. />. 281-
POTAMOGETON maritimum,' gramineis longioribus foliis, fructu fere umbellato. Rail Syn. p. 134;
t. 6. f.,1 . , ' ■
BUCCAFERREA maritima,-foliis acutissimis. Mich, Nov. Gen. PI. p. 72. t. 35;
Class and Order. TETRANDRIA TETRAGYNIA.
[Natural Order. FLUVIALES. Flores monoici rarius. clioiçi: Cal. proprie dictus, nullus. Sem, unicum*
inversum sive appensum. Embr. antitrppüs (seu radicula ad punctum hilo seminis çontrarium versa).— Richard
in Mus. d Hisi. N a t. fa se . 5. ALISMACEÆ, Decand. NAÏADES, Jussieu.(\
Gen . Char. Flores hermaphroditi, distiçhi in spadicç solitario: P criant hium. n u 11 u m 1.. Stàmina quatuor;
Ovaria quatuor. Capsula monospermæ, ovàtæ* longé pedicëîlatæ;
Radix parva, fibrosa, fibris simplicibus, e geniculis cau-
; lium.
CaüLIS pedalis, bipedalis et ultra, sed penna passerina
' ' y|x crassior, geniculatus, flexuosus, tëres, fusco-
viridis, valde ramosus, ramis sæpe diçhotomis,
ubique, at ramorum diyisione præcipue, foliosus.
Folia tri- quadri-uncialia, flexupsa, graminea, obtusa, vix
sëmilineam lata, nigro-viridia, glabra, supériora
natantia, basi vagipantia, vaginis subuneiam lon-
gis, infiatis, membranaceis, fusci.s.
Spadix ,Q%‘. 3.) primum brevis, dem um vald,e elonga-
tus, ét more Vallisheriæ spiralis spiralîtef tortus,
ex axilla foliorum spathæ vicem. gerente,' teres,
biflorus, floribus disticho modo dispositis; nempe
uno (superno) anteriore facie; altero (inferno)
posteriore facié (Jig. 3, 4).
Calyx nullus.
Corolla nulla.
Anther® (Jig. 3, 4, 5, & 6.) quatuor, circa ovaria
positæ, sessiles, subquadratoe, magis latæ quam
longæ, atque spadicem arete amplectentes,virides,
honzontaliter déhiscentes. Pollen minutum, pal-
lide viride, oblongo-cylindraceum, geniculätum,
geniculo apicibusque inflatum (Jig. 7).
Ovaria quatuor ; e centro antherarum, parva, sessilia,
tubercüliformia (Jig. 3, 4. a.), dèmum pedicel-
lata, ovata, viridia (Jig. 1 1 ). Stylus nullus: Stig-
PeriCarpià tot quot ovaria, longe pedicellata, dru-
pacea, riigro-viridia, late ovata, apice attenuata
, (Jig. 12). Cortex carnoso-membranacea, puta-
inen (Jigi 13,14,15, & 16.) crustäceum, evalve,
nigrescenSj punctis duobus utrinque sub apicem
notata (Jig. 15), dprso areola oblonga quasi
operculata (Jig. 16).
Semen (fig. 1*7 , 18.) pendens (inversum, Rieh.), ova-
tum, gibbosum, albicans.
Integumentum membranaceum.
Embryo semini confonds (Jig. 19.), albus, sub lente
longitudinaliter elevato-punctatus.
Cotyledon ? (radicula Rieh, vitellus Gcertn. (Jig. 19,
20: a. a.) magna, ovata, carnosa, solida, ad apicem
oblique truncata atque pro plumulæ recep-
tione canaliculata.
P lumüla? (cotyledon Rich.) subulato-cylindracea
, (Jig; ]9> 20. b. bi), oblique posita et ad hilum
seminis versa.
Radicula r ( J g . 20. c.) basi plumulæ in tuberculo minute.
Root small, fibrous-, the fibres simple, arising from the
'joints of the stem.
Stem from a foot to two feet iong and even more, but
scarcely thicker'than a sparrow’squill j join ted j,
flexuose, round, biown-green, véi^much branched,
the branches often dichotomous, every where leafy/
but especially- at the divisions of the branches. '
Leaves three or four inches long, flexuose, grass-like,
obtuse, scarcely half a line wide, blackish green/
smooth, the superior ones floating, sheathing at
thé base, with the sheaths about an inch long
swelling out, membranaceous, brown.
Spadix (Jig. 3.) at first short, at length much lengthened/
out, and after the manner ó f Vallisneria spiralis
spirally twisted, arising from the axil.of the
leaves, which thus perform thé office of a spatha,
round, twcMiowered, the .flowers placed in a distichous
manner; that is, one (the superior) on
the anterior side; the other (the lower one) on
the posterior side (fig. 3, 4);
Calyx none;
Corolla none.
Anthers (Jigs. 3 ,4 ,5 , and 6.) fourj placed around the
ovaries, sessile, subquad rate; broader than they •
are longj closely embracing the spadix} green, horizontally
opening; Pollen minute, pale green,
oblongo-cylindraceous, geniculate, at the bend
and the extremities inflated (fig. 7 ).
Ovaries four; from the centre of the anthers, small,
sessile, resembling tubercles (figSi 3, 4. a.), at
length pedicellate, ovate, green (fig. 1 1). Style
none; Stigma obtuse.
Pericarps as many as ovaries*, on long footstalks,
drupaceous, blackish green, broadly ovate, attenuate
at the extremityJ J ig. 12). Cortex between
carnose and membranaceous, shell (figs. 13, 14*
15, 16.) crustaceouS, without valves, blackish*
. having on each side below the apex two spots
(Jig- 15), on the back an arcole resembling an
operculum (Jig. 16); ‘
Seed (Jig. 17* IS.) pendent (inversum, Rich.), ovate,
gibbous, whitish.
Integument membranaceous.
Embryo o f the same shape as the seed (Jig. 19.), white,
under a microscope longitudinally marked with
raised dots.
Cotyledon? (radicula,-‘Rich, vitellus* Gartn. (Jig. 19,
20. a. a.) large, ovate, fleshy, solid, at the apex
obliquely truncated and grooved for the reception
of the plumule;
Plumijle? (cotyledon, Rich.) subulato-cylindraceous
(fig. 19,'20. b.b.), obliquely placed and directed
towards the hilum of the seed.
Radicule ? (fig. 20. c.) at the base of the plumule in a
small tubercle.
I- Riant of Ruppia niaritima with its fructification in various stages. Fig. 2. Young plant. Fig. 3. Spadix
of flowers seen from its anterior side; a. the ovaries. Fig. 4. The same seen from its posterior side; a. The
ovaries. Fig. 5. Anther. Fig. 6. The same burst open. Fig, 7. Grains of pollen.' Fig. 8. Spadix, after