Floating plants, of which _Aponogeton distachyon_ is by far the most beautiful. This plant, which is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, has oblong, deeply-ribbed leaves on very long footstalks, and the flowers in two-cleft spikes, with snow-white bracts, which are very ornamental and very fragrant; each flower consists of from six to twelve stamens, and from two to five carpels. The root is tuberous, and eatable when roasted. The Duckweed (_Lemna_), which is sometimes included in this order, appears to consist entirely of a few leaves floating on the water, each of which sends down a root; and many people believe that it never flowers. If, however, it be watched in the months of June and July, two yellow anthers will be seen peeping out of the side of each leaf; and if the opening be enlarged, the flower will be found to consist of a kind of bag, open on one side, and containing two stamens, with an ovary furnished with a style and simple stigma. The fruit is a one-celled capsule, containing one or more seeds. Some botanists place this plant in a separate order, called Pistiaceæ, from another genus included in it. ORDER CCVI.—JUNCEÆ.—THE RUSH TRIBE. The most interesting genus is the Rush (_Juncus_). These plants, low as they rank in the vegetable world, have a regular perianth of six divisions with six stamens, and a three-celled capsule which opens by three valves. The perianth of the flowers is, however, so small as to be inconspicuous. Most of the species are weeds, which are considered to indicate cold, wet, and poor ground. ORDER CCVII.—GILLESIEÆ. A grass-like plant, a native of Chili, with greenish flowers. ORDER CCVIII.—RESTIACEÆ.—THE PIPEWORT TRIBE. Rigid, inelegant, and often leafless, plants, with the habit of rushes, natives of New Holland and the Cape of Good Hope. § II.—GLUMACEÆ. These plants, instead of having a regular calyx and corolla, have nothing but green and brown scales, which are called glumes, to cover the stamens and pistil. There are only two orders belonging to this division in British fields and gardens. ORDER CCIX.—CYPERACEÆ.—THE SEDGE TRIBE. These plants have solid stems, and the leaves not only sheathe the stem, but grow together round it, so as to form a kind of tube. The flowers are arranged in heads, some of which contain only male flowers, each of which consists of a membranous scale and three stamens, and others contain only female flowers. In the genus Carex, the Sedge, these flowers are each enclosed in a kind of bottle formed by two scales growing together, and opening at the top into two parts so as to show three stigmas, which have only a single style. The fruit is a dry, hard, triangular capsule with only one seed. The most remarkable genera are _Papyrus_, the plant anciently used for paper; _Scirpus_, the Club-rush, used for making the seats of chairs, mats, &c.; _Eriophorum_, Cotton-grass; and _Cyperus_. ORDER CCX.—GRAMINEÆ.—THE GRASS TRIBE.