/ * . [ 837 3
A L I S M A Plantago,
Greater JVate?~-P lantain.
HEXANDRIA Polygynia.
G e n . C h a r . Cal. o f 3 leaves. Petals 3 . Capfules
many, aggregate, generally fingle-feeded.
S p e c . C h a r . Leaves ovate, acute, Capfules obtufely
triangular.
S y n . Alifma Plantago. Linn. 'Sp. P L 486. Sm. F I,
B r it. 400. Hudf. 15 8 . With. 3 6 1 . Hull. 78.
R elb . 150 . Sibth. 120 . Abbot. 83. Curt. Lond,
fa fc . 5. t. 2 7 .
Plantago aquatica. R a il Syn. 2 5 7 . '
P■ O O L S an d d itc h e s , a n d fom etime s th e b o rd e rs o f flow
iire am s , are p len tifu lly ad orned w ith th e larg e b r a n c h in g Hems
a n d n um e ro u s w h ite o r p u rp lifh flowers o f th e G re a t W a te r
P la n ta in in th e m id d le o f fum m e r.
T h e ro o t is fibrous an d p e ren n ia l, fixed in th e m u d u n d e r
w a te r. L eav es all ra d ic a l, e re£t, o n lo n g ftalks, o v a te , acute,
e n tire , rib b ed , fm o o th , va rious in fize an d b re a d th , all h a n d in g
o u t o f th e w a te r. F low e r-fta lk rifin g freq u e n tly 2 o r 3 feet
ab o v e th e furfac e , compofed o f n um e ro u s , w h o rled , c om p o u n d ,
Spreading, b ra fte a te d b ra n c h e s. E a c h flower ftan d s on a pa rtial
{talk, e re£ t, compofed o f th re e fh o rt-liv ed jag g e d p e ta ls. T h e
g e rm e n s a re c om p re fle d , th re e -fid e d , ran g ed in a c ircle like
th o fe o f th e M a llow tr ib e , e ach te rm in a te d b y a crooked flyle.
T h e c apfules a g re e in fo rm an d pofition w ith th e g e rm e n s.
W e c a n find n o fa tisfa c lo ry reafons for m a k in g th e
A . lanceolata o f W i th e r in g a d iltin f t fpecies from th is , as it
feen s m e re ly a fm all va rie ty w ith n a rrow e r leaves. A q u a tic
p la n ts in g e n e ra l a re lia b le to va ry in th e b re ad th o f th e ir leaves,
w itn e fs th e Sagittaria, Ranunculus aquatilis, an d fome fpecies
of Potamogeton,
83 J
/8 Ot. JhiiTj/KeA, fy'.JâpJ ’fii'erly.JjoieAens.