STRATIO TES*. Linnean Class and Order. POLYA'NDRIA, HEXAGY'NIA. Natural Order. HYDROCHARI'DEÆ, Dec. Fl. Fr. v. iii. p. 265.— Lindl. Syn. p. 254.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 254.-Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 414.-Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 536.-Mack. Fl. Hibern. p. 272.-Hook. Brit. Fl. (4th ed.) p. 425.-HYDROCHARIDES, Juss. Gen. Pl. p. 67.-Sm. Gram. of Bot. p. 84.-MUSALES; sect. HyDROCHARINÆ; type, STRATIOTACEA; Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. i. pp. 437, 464, & 465.—PalmÆ, Linn. GEN. CHAR. Spatha compressed, of 2 leaves; 1-flowered, permanent Calyx (see fig. 1.) superior, tubular, upright, of 1 sepal, in 3 deep, deciduous segments. Corolla (see fig. 2.) of 3, inversely egg-shaped, concave, slightly spreading petals, which are alternate with the segments of the calyx, and twice as long. Filaments (see fig. 3.) about 20, inserted into the apex of the tube of the calyx, and shorter than its segments. Anthers vertical, awl-shaped. Germen (see fig. 1.) inferior, elliptical, bluntly triangular. Styles (see fig. 3.) 6, deeply cloven, as long as the stamens. Stigmas simple. Fruit (see figs. 4 & 5.) inferior, fleshy, taper-pointed, 6-cornered, 6-celled, and many-seeded. Seeds (see figs. 5 to 8.) numerous, inversely egg-shaped, attached to the dissepiments. The 2-leaved spatha; the 3-cleft calyx; the corolla of 3 petals; and the inferior, angular, 6-celled, many-seeded, fleshy fruit; will distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order. One species British. STRATIO'TES ALOI'DES. Aloe-like Water-soldier. Freshwater Soldier. Water Aloe. Water Sengreen. SPEC. CHAR. Leaves sword-shaped, channelled, with a prominent rib, and sharp marginal prickles. Engl. Bot. t. 379.-Fl. Dan. t. 337.-Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 754.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 236.-Willd. Sp. Pl. v. iv. pt. II. p. 820.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. ii. p. 579.; Engl. Fl. v. iii. p. 34.-With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 668.-Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 220.-Lindl. Syn. p. 254.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 262.-Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 221.Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 218.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 171.-Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 122.Winch's Fl. of Northumb. and Durh. p. 37.-Pampl. Pl. of Battersea and Clapham, p. 10.-Walker's Fl. of Oxf. pp. 152 & 306.-Irv. Lond. Fl. p. 109.-Leight, Fl. of Shropshire, p. 254.-Mack. Catal. Pl. of Irel. p. 52.; Fl. Hibern. p. 272.Stratiotes foliis Aloes, semine longo, Ray's Syn. p. 290.-Stratiotes sive Militaris aizoides, Park. Theat. p. 1249. f. 1.-Militaris aizoides, Johns. Gerarde, p. 825.-Aloe sive aizoon palustre, Bauh. Hist. v. iii. p. 778. LOCALITIES.-In slow streams, deep fen ditches, and pools; rare.-Oxfordsh. About ten years ago I planted three plants of Stratiotes in the pond at the E. corner of Magdalen Meadow, and it is now become naturalized there in such abundance, as to have become a troublesome weed: W. B. 1841.-Berks; Plentiful in watery ditches by the side of the towing-path near the Cottages in Nuneham Park, but on the Berkshire side of the river, where it was first pointed out to me by Mr. E. B. HEWLETT. I think I remember to have heard, some Fig. 1. Germen and Calyx.-Fig. 2. A Flower.-Fig. 3. Stamens.-Fig. 4. Fruit. Fig. 5. Transverse section of ditto.-Fig. 6. A Seed.-Fig. 7. Ditto.Fig. 8. Section of the same, showing the embryo.-Figs. 7 & 8 magnified. * From stratos, Gr. an army; on account of its numerous sword-like leaves. t See folio 51, note +. years ago, that Mr. BICHENO had observed it in the same neighbourhood.-Cambridgesh. Near the bridge at Ely; Stretham Ferry; Rampton; Audrey Causeway; Mepole; beyond Littleport; March; &c.: Rev R. RELHAN.~ Cheshire; In ponds about four miles from Holme's Chapel: Mr. HUNTER. In several ponds near Gorton, four miles from Stockport: Mr. G. HOLME.Lincolnshire; In the fen ditches, and those in the marsh behind the sea bank, where the water is deep and the current slow: Sir JosEPH BANKS. Near the new bridge at Gainsborough: Sir T. G. CULLUM.-Norfolk; About Bungay, and various other places in Norfolk: Mr. WOODWARD. Near Lynn: Mr. E. FOSTER, jun. Ditches by the side of Acle Dam, plentifully: Mr. WIGG. Ditch on the side of Haddisco Dam, by the Turnpike Gate; and in vast abundance on Hoveton Common: D. TURNER, Esq. Lynn Regis; 1826: G. HowITT, in N. B. G. Abundant in the peat-holes, Royden Fen: Rev. A. BLOXAM.Northamptonsh. In the fen ditches: MORTON.-Northumberland; Naturalized in the ponds at Wallington and north of Cambo; ponds at Nether Witton; brought from the S. of England: N. J. WINCH, Esq.-Notts; Clay-pits, in Stoke Park, near Newton, (Ordoyno); in the moat at Strelley: Dr. HoWITT, in N. B. G.-Shropsh. Lilleshall Pond: Miss Mc. GHIE.-Suffolk: Lowdham Hall Mere: CRABBE. Ditches near Bungay and Worlingham: Mr. WoodWARD. At Bradwell and elsewhere about Yarmouth; on Haddisco Dam, close by the turnpike Gate: Mr. WIGG.-Surrey; In the pond opposite the Three Houses, Wandsworth Common; and in the wide brook at the foot of Lavender Hill. It was first introduced to this neighbourhood by Mr. W. ANDErSON, of the Chelsea Garden, and has now become completely naturalized: Mr. W. PAMPLIN, jun.-Yorksh. Near Beverley: COLONEL MACHELL. In the Gyme near Thorn: Mr. ROBSON.-SCOTLAND. Edinburghsh. Duddingston Loch Mr. H. C. WATSON, in N. B. G.-Forforsh. Forfar Loch, introduced by Mr. DoN.-Perthsh. Loch of Clunie: Rev. Mr. Mc. RITCHIE. Blair Athol, (Boué): N. J. WINCH, Esq.-IRELAND. Near Crum-castle and Castle Saunderson on the banks of Loch Erne; also on the banks of the Shannon, near Portumna; Belfast Water-course: Mr. TEMPLeton. Perennial.-Flowers in July. Root fibrous. Stem none. Leaves all radical, triangular, swordshaped, from 6 to 9 inches long, sharply toothed at the margin; forming star-like tufts, as in the Aloes. Scape (flower-stalk) solitary, firm, stout, two-edged, shorter than the leaves, single-flowered. Flowers white, large and handsome, from a compressed 2-leaved spatha. Stamens short; anthers awl-shaped, with rough globose pollen. Fruit somewhat egg-shaped, beaked, drooping, fleshy; cells with a double membrane, very thin, separating lengthwise, full of crystalline pulp. Seeds from 10 to 12 in each cell, eggshaped, somewhat angular, of a pale, brownish red, nestling in the pulp, and fastened to the rind of the fruit, near the external angles of the cells. GÆRTNER says, the pulp in its natural state is clear, like the vitreous humour of the eye; in spirits of wine it becomes opaque and white, like the white of an egg when boiled; plunged into water it becomes clear again. This singular plant, which is a native of Siberia as well as of Europe, is a stoloniferous aquatic, and remains submerged during the Autumn and Winter months; but, as Spring advances, it puts forth, from amongst its leaves, numerous thick runners, each of which bears at its extremity a gemma, or young plant, which rises to the surface of the water, where it grows to maturity, and where it floats till after its season of flowering, when it sinks to the bottom of the water, and becomes, in its turn, the parent of another race of young offsets; in this manner it frequently so entirely fills up ditches and ponds as to exclude all other herbage. The anthers are occasionally imperfect in one flower, the stigmas in another, whence some have thought the flowers dioecious, but Sir J. E. SMITH observes, that such casual imperfection in those parts is frequent in plants that increase much by root. A great variety of insects are nourished by this plant; some of them pursue it down to the bottom of the water, and devour the leaves. Swine eat it, goats refuse it. |