A Plant in flower. B Flower. C Flower cut lengthwise.

HYDROSTACHYACEAE.

FLOW. PL. AFR.

Pl. 58.

J. Fleischmann del.

Hydrostachys multifida A. Juss.

A Plant in flower. B Male flower with its bract. C Female flower, and ovary cut lengthwise. D Fruit. E Seed.

1. Flowers without a spathe, regular. Perianth 3-parted. Stamen 1.
Ovary 3-celled. Styles 3. Leaves undivided.—Species 5. Tropical and South Africa. (Plate 57.) [Tribe TRISTICHEAE.] Tristicha Thouars
Flowers at first enclosed in a spathe, irregular. Perianth of 2, rarely of
3 small scales. Stamens 2-4. Ovary 1-2-celled. Styles 1-2.
Leaves usually dissected. 2
2. Style 1, very short; stigma entire. Ovary 1-celled. Stamens 3-4; filaments free or nearly so. Stem elongate. Spathe close to the flower.—Species
1. Southern West Africa (Angola). [Tribe MARATHREAE.] Angolaea Wedd.
Styles 2, free or united at the base. Stamens 2, rarely (Winklerella) 3, but then filaments united about halfway up. [Tribe PODOSTEMONEAE.] 3
3. Filaments free or nearly so. Ovary stalked. 4
Filaments obviously united. 5
4. Fruit with unequal valves, the persistent valve 5-nerved, the deciduous one 3-nerved. Stem little branched. Leaves linear or the lower with two teeth at the base.—Species 1. West Africa (Cameroons). Ledermanniella Engl.
Fruit with two equal, persistent, linear, 5-nerved valves. Stem much branched. Leaves divided in 2-5 narrow segments.—Species 2.
West Africa. Used as salad. Dicraeanthus Engl.
5. Ovary and fruit 1-celled, the latter with somewhat unequal valves. Flowers drooping.—Species 4. Central and South Africa. Used as salad.
(Including Isothylax Baill.) Sphaerothylax Bisch.
Ovary and fruit 2-celled. 6
6. Fruit with unequal valves, one of which falls off, and with prominent ribs.
Pollen-grains united in pairs.—Species 1. Madagascar. Podostemon Mich.
Fruit with equal valves. 7
7. Fruit smooth, without distinct ribs. Pollen-grains separate. Flowers drooping.—Species 3. Southern Central Africa. (Leiocarpodicraea
Engl., under Dicraea Thouars). Leiothylax Warm.
Fruit with prominent ribs. 8
8. Fruit 2-toothed at the top, with boat-shaped valves, one of them or both falling off. Pollen-grains separate.—Species 1. West Africa (Cameroons). Winklerella Engl.
Fruit with persistent valves. Pollen-grains united in pairs.—Species 9.
Tropics. (Under Podostemon Mich.) Dicraea Thouars