ALISMACEJE. 371 SAGITTARIA. 



Leaves resembling those of the common plantain, 4 — 6 inches long. | as wide, 

 ending in a short, abrupt point, 7 — 9-nerved, entire, on long, radical petioles. 

 Scape 1 — 2 feet iiigh. Branches of the panicle verticillate, with bracts at base. 

 Flowers numerous. Petals 3, tinged with purple, roundish, deciduous, larger 

 than the green, ovate, persistent sepals. July. IValcr Fiantain. 



2. SAGITTA'RIA. 



Flowers monoecious; sterile with about 24 stamens; fertile 

 witli numerous ovaries aggregated, and becoming, in fruit, as 

 many compressed, margined achenia collected into a globose 

 head. 



Lat. sagiUa, an arrow ; from the peculiar form of the leaf. Perennial, 

 acaulescent. Lvs. radical, generally sagittate. Fis. in verticels of 3, the sterile 

 ones near the summit of the scape, fertile below them. 



1. S. sagittifo'lia. 



Leaves lanceolate, acute, sagittate, lobes lanceolate, acute. A curious 

 aquatic plant, conspicuous with its large white flowers among the rushes and 

 sedges of si uogish waters. Root fleshy and farinaceous. LeavesS — 10 inches 

 long including the lobes wliich are neatly half this length, ^—4 or 5 inches 

 wide, smooth and entire. Scape 1 — 2 feet high, branching, obtusely 3-angled. 

 Flowers generally in 3s, the upper ones barren. Petals 3, large, roundish, 

 while and very delicate. July. Aug. The leaves, &c., are exceedingly 

 variable, and Dr. Torrey has appended the following, as varieties : 



/i. bitifulla ; leaves broad-ovate, rather obtuse, with straight, ovate, slightly 

 acuminate lobes. 



y. hastala ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute, with spreading, lanceolate, long, 

 acuminate lobes; flowers inoslly dioecious. 



3. graciis ; leaves linear, with linear, very long, acute and spreading lobes. 



£. pvbesccns; piani distinctly pubescent, in all its parts; icares and their 

 lobes ovate. Arroio-kead. 



2. S. Kl'oiDA. 



Leaves narrow-lanceolate, carinate, rigid, very acute at both ends; scape 

 branching. N. Yorli. Growing in watereven to the depth of 7 feet, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Beck. Leaves remarkably dissimilar to those of the foregoing 

 species, 5 — 6 inches in length, one in width, thick and brittle, and on stout, 

 rigid petioles, prolonged according to the depth of the water. Flowers 

 numerous and large, with 3, white, rounded petals ; fertile ones on short 

 peduncles. July. BriuU-ltaved SagiUaria. 



3. S. iieterophy'lla. 



Leaves smootli, linear and lanceolate, acute at each end, rarely some of 

 them elliptical and sagittate, with lobes linear and divaricate; sc/ipe simple, 

 fevir-flowered, fertile flowers subsessile. Muddy shores. Leaves 2 — 4 inches 

 long, ^ as wide, on petioles rather longer than the scape which is seldom a 

 foot high. Flowers few, tiie three lower ones fertile and very nearly sessile, 

 all with roundish bracts at base. July. 



4. S. acutifo'lia. 



Leaves subulate, sheathed at base, conve.x on the back ; scape simple, few- 

 flowered ; //r«c«i^ broad, acuminate. Muddy shores. Mass. N.York. Leaves 

 very small (I — 2 inches long), thick and concave, on long, round, sheathing 

 petioles. Scape simple, half a foot high. Flowers few, pedunculate, in 



