WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK 37 



Water Plantain Family 



Alismaceae 

 Broad-leaved Arrowhead 



Sagittaria latifolia Willdenow 



Plate I 



A perennial aquatic herb with thickened base and numerous long, 

 fibrous roots. Leaves long petioled and extremely variable in form and 

 size, sometimes wider than long and obtuse, sometimes linear-lanceolate 

 and acuminate at the apex; the basal lobes of the leaf blades one-quarter 

 to one-half as long as the blade. Flowers monoecious or sometimes 

 dioecious, pediceled and borne near the summits of the scapes in verticels 

 of three, the staminate usually uppermost, each verticel subtended by 

 three bracts. Calyx of three persistent sepals. Stamens numerous; 

 anthers two-celled, dehiscent by lateral slits. Pistillate flowers with 

 numerous distinct ovaries and sometimes with imperfect stamens. The 

 ovaries ripen into a globose or compact head of achenes, each achene 

 broadly winged on both margins, with a beak about one-third its length 

 and horizontal or nearly so. 



Common in shallow water almost everywhere and offered by dealers 

 in native plants for colonizing lily ponds and shallow waters. Such situa- 

 tions are scarcely complete without its presence. Flowering from July to 

 September. 



There are several closely related species such as Sagittaria cuneata 

 Sheldon, with a minute beak to the achene, which is erect over the ventral 

 wing ; Sagittaria pubescens Muhlenberg, which is strongly pubescent ; 

 Sagittaria graminea Michaux, which has long-petioled, linear, lanceo- 

 late or elliptical leaf blades, acute at both ends, and much smaller flowers 

 than S. latifolia, and other less abundant species. A nearly related 

 genus is Alisma, represented in our range by the very common Alisma 

 subcordatum Rafinesque (American Water Plantain), with oblong, 

 elliptic, oval or ovate leaf blades which are cuneate, truncate or cordate at 



