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P I L U L A R I A globulifera.
Pill-wort, or Pepper-grafs.
C R Y P T O . G A M I A M\Jce.llar.ea.
G en. Char. Common Receptacle globofe, with four
cells and four valves, lined with numerous antheree,
and many globofe germens beneath them.
Spec. Char. --------
Syn. Pilularia globulifera. Linn. Sp. P L 1563. H u dJ.*
462. W'tth. 760.
Graminifolia paluftris repens, vafculis granorum
piperis aemulis. R a i l Syn. 136.
S e n t from near Yarmouth by Mr. D. Turner. It grows in
watery places on gravelly or fandy heaths, as at St. Faith’s
Newton near Norwich, as alfo on Hillingdon common and
Hounflow heath, though by no means a general plant, for it is
not mentioned in the Cambridge or Oxford Floras.
The Item is perfectly proftrate and trailing, throwing out
numerous roots (fuppofed to be perennial) by which it creeps
to a confiderable extent. Leaves fimple, upright, awl-fhaped,
narrow and fmooth. Fructification refembling pepper-corns,
but downy, feffile, folitary, axillary, produced from May to the
end of Autumn. What at firft fight feems a capfule, is, in fa£t,
a hollow receptacle, as in the fig, which feparates into four
valves, and is internally divided into as many cells. The valves
are lined with organs of fruftification, feveral feffile club-
fhaped anthem being in the upper part, and about as many ob-
long germens occupying the lower. Juffieu fays the anther a
are moft numerous. He alfo remarks that the feeds are coated.
Mr. Sowerby found the germens fhaped like an acorn reverfed,
and terminating in a fmall acute ftyle.
From the above defcription it appears that the Pilularia has
almoft as good a right to a place among the perfe£t flowers as
the fig, and might perhaps be ranged in the Monaecia Polyandria.
In habit and fenfible qualities it has moft affinity with the Equi-
Jetum, Lycopodium, and other plants of obfcure fructification,
which are akin to the proper Ferns.