ALISMA natans.
Floating Water-Plantain.
HEXANDR IA Polygynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. of 3 leaves. Petals 3. Capfules
many, aggregate, generally lingle-feeded.
Spec. Char. Leaves elliptical, obtufe. Flower-
ftalks folitary. Capfules ftriated.
Stn. Alifma natans. Linn. Sp. PL 487. Sm. F I. B rit.
402. Hudf. 158. With. 2,6 1. Hull. 79.
T3
A v AY and Dillenius were unacquainted with this plant as
a native of Britain. Mr. Brewer feems to have been its original
difcoverer in the great lake near Llanberris, where, as
well as in other alpine lakes about Snowdon, it ftill grows.
From thence our living fpecimens were brought to the garden
of the Rt. hon. Charles Greville at Paddington, under whofe
care they flowered vigouroufly in May 1800. This gentleman
has gathered the fame plant in Kefwick lake. We have alfo
received wild dried fpecimens, gathered in Bala lake, Meri-
onethfliire, by the Rev. Mr. Wood of Leeds, with which Mr.
Greville’s cultivated ones perfectly agree.
The.root is fibrous and perennial. Herb floating, confiding
of many long round Items, of the fize of a final} packthread,
producing from each joint two or more elliptical entire leaves
on long footftalks, with one or two large delicate white flowers,
each handing ere6t above the furface of the water on a long
purplith flowerftalk. The petals are yellow at their bafe.
Stamina fix, flicrt. Germens from 6 to 12, each becoming
a ribbed or ftriated capfule. The abovementioned leaves float
on the furface, to which purpofe their long flexible ftalks are
well adapted j but there are alfo long linear-lanceolate radical
leaves, always immerfed in the water, and ftill diftinA enough
from the membranous ftipulae that accompany the footftalks
of the others.