40 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



once recognized it can never again be mistaken. In similar 

 situations is the yellow water crowfoot {Ranunculus niulfifi- 

 dus) its fine feathery immersed leaves reminding one of the 

 bladderworts, which later on will raise their hooded blossoms 

 from many of our ponds and slow streams. These are beauti- 

 ful and interesting plants \arying in size from the little 

 Utricnlaria gibba an inch or two in height to the greater blad- 

 derwort, U. vulgaris, which sometimes raises its scape ten 

 inches or more out of the water. The Potantogetons from a 

 most interesting group for the student, and our ponds and 

 streams furnish abundant material for study. In fact it would 

 be hard to find a pond without at least two or three species and 

 some contain several more. The water shield {Brasenia pel- 

 tafa) can usually be found with the Potaniogatons as well as 

 a naiad ( Naias fieri lis) . 



Where the water is shallow, especially about the outlet, 

 is apt to grow some of the tall rushes such as Scirpus lacustris 

 or vS. occidentalis which form dense thickets taller than a man's 

 head and through which the boat is pushed with difficulty. The 

 great yellow water lily, {Nuphar advcna), is pretty sure to be 

 present together with the white one {Nyniphaca odorata) to 

 which certainly belongs the distinction of being our most 

 beautiful water plant. Another plant that loves the pond 

 border is the pickerel weed { Pouted cria cord at a) whose 

 violet-blue flowers, though somewhat ephemeral, give a dash 

 of color on the back-ground of green. But space would fail 

 me to tell of all the water-loving plants that haunt our ponds 

 and streams. A day spent in their study is sure to be a pleas- 

 ant one and the searcher is sure to return home with a crowded 

 vasculum and a well filled note book. 



Shushan, N. Y. 



