76 THE AQUATIC GARDEN. 



Few flowers exceed in beauty the yellow and white 

 water lilies of our English streams and lakes (Nuphar 

 lutea and Nympha alba}. The space they take up, 

 however, is so great that they can only be introduced 

 into very large tanks, or into the basins of garden 

 fountains. Their broad, cool leaves form an admirable 

 retreat and screen for fishes, especially in the heat of 

 a summer's noonday. The perfume of the flowers of 

 the former plant has obtained for them the name of 

 " brandy-bottles " in some parts of England. The 

 flowers only rise above the surface and open in the 

 full blaze of day at night the petals close and the 

 flower head is withdrawn into the water. The water 

 plantain (Alisma plantagd) is a pretty aquatic plant, 

 whose panicles of pale liliac flowers rise above the 

 water very prominently. Its name is derived from 

 the resemblance of its leaves to those of the common 

 plantain. The flowers secrete honey from twelve 

 glands they possess, for the purpose of attracting 

 insects to bring about the cross-fertilisation which 

 is so important an element in the propagation of 

 many flowering plants. The arrow-head (Sagittaria 

 sagittifolid) belongs to the same order as the last- 

 mentioned species, and is another true aquatic plant 

 which may be included in our list of those intended 

 mainly for ornamental purposes. Its common name 

 is derived from the conventional arrow-head shape of 

 the bright green leaves. The flowers are very pretty 

 whilst they last, being white with pinkish spots at the 

 base of the petals. The upper ones bear stamens 



