282 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



Frogbit is a floating type, which is 3-6 in. in height. 

 It flowers in July and August, being a herbaceous 

 perennial. 



Frogbit is a dioecious plant. There is honey in 

 the flower, which is half concealed in a scale at the 

 base of the inner perianth-segments. The flowers are 

 conspicuous and attractive to insects. Though pol- 

 lination may often take place the plant does not seed. 



The fruit is a capsule, which is fleshy and dispersed 

 by water. 



Frogbit is the only name for the plant. 



Hydrocharis MORSUS-RANiE.— ^ planl is shown in 

 Fig. 75 with the characteristic, kidney-shaped leaves, and 

 in the axils the beginnings of flowers with a flower-stalk 

 from which petals have fallen. 



Canadian Waterweed {Elodea canadensis). 



As the EngHsh name implies, this plant is a native 

 of Canada, from whence it has been derived. It 

 appeared in Ireland in County Down, in 1836. Later, 

 in 1841, it was introduced into England. Miss Mary 

 Kirby of Lubbenham, Leicestershire, found it in 

 Leicestershire and sent the first specimens to Prof. 

 Babington, a relative of the Macaulays of Rothley 

 Temple, Leicestershire. 



In the British Isles the Canadian waterweed is 

 generally distributed, but is now on the decrease in 

 some areas. 



The habitat is ponds, lakes, canals, slow streams, 

 rivers. The plant is found in the fresh-water aquatic 



