38 PIXEAPPLE FAMILY 



Eichhomia crassipes. Flowers light purple, about 1 in. 

 across, 6-parted, upper lobe yellow in center, in spike. Flow- 

 ering-stem 4-15 in. tall. Leaves roundish, 1-3 in. wide, leaf- 

 stalk inflated. In water or mud. Blooming from spring to 

 fall. Introduced in Fla. 



Pickerel- Weed. Wampee (Genus Pontederia) 



Modestly by lakes and streams grows our native "water 

 hyacinth'^ — the blue pickerel-weed — a plant that has not 

 pushed itself into the daily papers, nor stopped steam- 

 boats, but that lives decently and in order in its pre- 

 ferred habitat of shallow water. Less showy than its 

 foreign cousin, but with similar flowers, though darker 

 and of smaller size, the pickerel-weed is not so unattractive 

 as its name. 



Pontederia cordata. Flowers blue or purple, nearly V^ in. 

 across, 2-lipped, 6-parted, many, in spike, upper lobe has 2 

 yellow spots. Stem 1-4 ft. tall. Leaves oblong, erect, 3-10 

 in. long, on long leaf-stalks. Shallow water and swamps. 

 Blooming all the year. Fla. to Texas and northward. 



PINEAPPLE FAMILY (Bromelmceae) 



Plants growing on trees. Flowers regular, petals 3, sepals 3, 

 stamens 6. Fruit a narrow capsule, seeds on a hairy stalk. 



Spanish Moss. Long Moss. Florida Moss (Genus 



Dendropogon) 



Of our air plants none is so common as the Spanish 

 moss, which in many parts of the state drapes and decorates 

 the trees with its abundant growth. A rootless plant, it 

 fastens itself to the bark of trees, and by means of 

 specialized sealelike hairs takes its food from air and 

 rain. It is so singular in appearance that it is astonishing 

 to learn that this is a true flowering plant, allied to the 

 lilies. The small flowers show the six-parted, lilylike 



