110 THE PLANT WOELD 



leaves are so beautifully banded along the center with very coarse re- 

 ticulations. Along the margins of these i^ools, and nowhere else in this 

 locality, was an abundance of yellow-eyed grass. At the head of the 

 pond were large clumps of Scirpiis Americamis and wool-grass (*S'. cy- 

 perimis), occupying a half-acre or more. From these clumps and both 

 shores, the water of a bay was uniformly about three feet deep, and 

 entirely occupied in patches by water-milfoil {Blyriophyllum humile) and 

 the perfoUate pondweed. The first has no emersed stems, and in the 

 clear water showed its feathery plumes to the utmost advantage as the 

 unusually long branches lazily floated this way or that according to the 

 current, or remained motionless as if patiently hiding the mud below. 

 The contrast between its dull green bases and brown-purple tips was 

 intensified by the sunlight through the slightly humus-dyed water. At 

 one side of this bay there was a patch ot water-pepper {Polygonum 

 hydropi^jeroides) wholly in the water except the upper leaves and flower 

 clusters. This more than usually aquatic home has produced a tre- 

 mendous root system, shining pure white in contrast to the meager 

 purple-stemmed part of the plant above the mud. These roots were 

 the finest example of primary and secondary root systems I have ever 

 seen. Out in the pond proper four species held full sway, the white 

 and the yellow water-lilies, water shield, and eel-grass. Most people 

 are content to pull the water-lilies with what they call long stems, know- 

 ing nothing of the true stem or rootstock buried in the mud below. At 

 this place we hauled up one nearly five inches in thickness, and we 

 could not get its full length. Would not a housekeeper delight to serve 

 a jelly so crystally clear as the gelatinous coating of the water-shield! 

 Little would one suspect such a coating from looking at the iDlant in the 

 water. So far as I can ascertain, the eel-grass never blossoms at this 

 place. Near the shores three pondweeds {Poiamogeton nutans, Oakesl- 

 anus and perfoliatus) occupy the shallower places. At one place where 

 the bottom is a coarse gravel, occurred a large patch of Nitella. At the 

 outlet of the lake there was a large bed of pickerel-weed, just buzzing 

 with the visiting humble and honey bees. In a swamp about the mouth 

 of the larger brook, water-cress, mermaid-weed, various-leaved water- 

 starwort, marsh purslane {Isnardia paliiHtris), various sedges too young 

 to blossom, bur-reeds, and arrow-leaves, were abundant. Below the 

 outlet of the lake was a small sphagnum bog, just dotted with blossoms 

 so much in contrast vdth the more sombre plants of the water. There 

 were pitcher-plants, round-leaved sundew, Aretlmsa, Calopogon {Lim- 

 odorum), bitter buttercup, and peat-moss {Sjihagnnm cymhifoliimi) in 

 fruit. We heartily wished for another day to retrace our steps and 

 find the other species which surely must have been there. 

 Department of Biology, Washington High Schools. 



