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Z O S T E R A marina.
Common Grafs-wrack.
/ !
M 0 N A N D R 1 A Monogytiia.
G e k . C har. Spadix linear, (heathed by the bafe of the
leaf, bearing the fruftifications on one fide, in two
ranks. Cal. and Cor. none. Anthera feffile. Stigmas
two, linear. Capfule with one feed.
Sp e c . C har. Capfules feflile.
Syn . Zoftera marina. Linn. Sp. P L 1374. Hudf. 395.
With. 496.
Alg a. Rati Syn. 52.
IN O TH IN G can be more defirable to a philofophical botanift,
than to acquire a right idea of the fructification of thofe plants
whofe peculiar fituations require feme variation from the ufual
mode in which impregnation is performed. This is the cafe
with many aquatics, and among others the Zojlera, whofe
flowers are completely protected from the fait water, under
which they grow, by the fheathiug bafe of the leaf, which
clofely enfolds them. Their ftrinfture is in other refpedts fo
peculiar, that botanifts have differed about their clafs in the
Linnasan fyftem. The author of that fyftem placed this genus
in Gynandria, confidering its fpadix as, the common receptacle
of one flower, compofed of many anther#, ranged alternately
with many pijlilla. Thunberg and Withering, aboliffiing that
clafs, have referred Zojlera to Polyandria Polygynia. To us it
appears that the flowers are by no means gynandrous, as the
Jlamina cannot in any fenfe be underflood to grow out of the
pijlilla; neither are they Amply polyandrous, as in every fuch
flower the male organs are invariably collected around the
central collected females. Nor will the analogy of Arum,
however we may underftand that flower, at all help us to comprehend
this, they having no real affinity. Zojlera is eafieft
underftood as a Ample unilateral fpike of naked flowers, dif-
pofed in two ranks. The anthera of each is feffile, oblong, a
little curved. By its fide is affixed an oblong germen, with a
fhort ftyle, bearing two long, linear, pointed ftigmas. Thefe
organs are arranged along the fpike in an alternate manner, fo
that each anthera may perhaps impregnate the germen of the
flower below i t ; nor ffiould we much difpute the point with
any one who might confider them as belonging to each other,
only that there would then remain an unoccupied anthera at the
bottom of all. The capfule is membranous, containing one
elliptical yellowiffi feed, and is affixed (like the germen) by a
fhort lateral footftalk.------The Zoftera marina is fuppofed to
be perennial, throwing out roots from the joints of its long
round branching Item. The leaves are very long, linear, flaccid,
and tender. It is common in falt-water ditches, flowering in
Auguft and September. Mr. Turner fent thefe very perfect
fpecimens from Yarmouth.
vSIM.'i.*