GENTIANACE^ 



The bluish-green, three-parted leaves of this tall, aquatic 

 plant form dark stretches in the edge-nooks of wet bogs. 

 The numerous white flowers, bearded within and sometimes 

 tinged with red are borne on long, leafless stems. The 

 plant has spread considerably since 1853 when, Mrs. Owen 

 records, it was first discovered by "Eben W. Tallant, a 

 school-boy at that time." 



GENTIANACE^E GENTIAN FAMILY 



Nymphoides lacunosum, (Vent.) Fernald. 



White 



Floating Heart. 

 July-September 



Nymphoides: Greek ''resembling a nymph." 

 Lacunosum: Latin derivation for a basin. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: fresh-water ponds. 



THE PLANT: from underground stems buried in the mud; 

 the roots long and fibrous; stem sometimes ten feet long. 



THE LEAVES: floating; opposite; very broadly ovate; one 

 inch long or more; hairless on both surfaces; green above, 

 purple-red beneath; obtuse at the apex; heart-shaped at 

 the base; petioled; entire; hairy-veined beneath. The 

 tubers are linear-conic, about one inch long. 



THE FLOWERS: in an umbel; smooth stems; the five petals 

 more or less erect. 



THE FRUIT: a capsule. 



A beautiful growth over the surface of fresh-water ponds, 

 where it floats in large masses, its small white flowers 

 glistening in the sun and its somewhat round leaves turn- 

 ing up their edges to show the dark purple-red beneath. 

 The flowers, unfortunately, close early in the day. Of 



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