P L A T E CCXC.
A P O N O G E T O N DISTACHYON.
Broad leaved Aponogeton.
C L A S S XL ORDER IV.
DOBECANDRIA TETRAGYNIA, Twelve Chives. Four Pointals.
GENERIC CHAEACTEK.
C A L Y X nullus, nifi fquama fpathacea externum
latus floris cingens, fimplex, feflilis,
ovata, obtufa, integra, ereda, glabra, colorata.
COROLLA nulla. ,
S T A M I N A . Filamenta undecim ad novemdecim,
fuperioribus floribus pauciora, intra fpatham
et capfulas inferta, fubulata, glabra,
alba, fpatha multoties breviora. Antherae
ereôae, bifidse.
P I S T I L L A . Germina plerumque quatuor, raro
tria feu quinque. Styli nulli. Stigmata
fubulata, incurvata.
P E R I C A E P I U M . Capfulse quatuor, ranus très
feu quinque, ovatse, fubulato-acutoe, exteriore
latere gibbae, interiore pianse, glabra,
unilocularis.
SEMINA, in quacumque capfula tria, bafi capfula
afExa, feflìlia, obovata, obtiifillima,
fub-compreffa, glabra.
EMPALEMENT none, except a llieathing fcale
furrounding the outer fide of the flower,
fimple, fitting clofe, egg-ihaped, obtufe,
intire, upright, fmooth, coloured.
BLOSSOM none.
CHIVES. Thrpads eleven to nineteen, in the
upper flowers fewer, inferted between the
fpathe and the capfales, awl - ihaped,
fmooth, white, much ûiorter than the
fpathe. Tips upright, two-cleft.
P O I N T A L S . Seed-buds often four, feldom three
or fi%'e. Shafts none, Summits awl-ihaped,
turned inwards.
SEED-VESSEL. Capfales four, feldom three or
five, egg-ihaped, pointed, awl-ihaped, unequally
fwelled on the outfide, flat on the
inner, fmoothed, one-celled.
SEEDS in each capfule three, fixed to the bafe of
it, fitting clofe, inverfely egg-ihaped, very
blunt, rather flattiih, fmooth.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
Aponogeton fpica bifida; foliis eliptico-lanceolatis,
natantibus; bradeis integris; floribus
polyandris.
Aponogeton with a two-branched fpike; leaves
eliptically lance - fliaped, floating; floral
leaves entire; flowers with many chives.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. A Floret, with its floral leaf, magnified.
2. The Seed-buds and Summits, magnified.
T H I S Genus of Plants in the Catalogue of the Kew Garden, is placed to the Class Heptandna, and
S ^ a p ^ w T t h as much proprie as where it now ftands in Thunberg, Schreber, &c. for the number
r f chi^4\ n almoft every floret differs in this, and all tlie other fpecies, from fix to t ^ n t y - It is there
? a i r t o Lvc been introduced to us in 1788 from the Cape of Good Hope by Mr F. Maffon It is
found nearCapc Town in moft of the brooks; is very fweet fcented and flowers from April till No-
. X r As an aquatic it is very defirable for thofe who cultivate thofe plants, the fragrance of the
flofe • b e t g nea?requal ,o our Nympha^a alba, or Whi t e Water Lily; and this added to the conr
flT.ff^A nf the appD brown anthers upon the pure white floral leaves, winch indeed have the
i t l n ^ f c f i l o t e ^ whole an ii^defcriba'ble trait of beauty, peculiar to itfelf. Our figure
was taken from a plant in the Hibbertian colleftion.
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