DAMASONIUM 513 



Also as ' Sagitfaria major, Greate Arrowhead, and Sagitfaria minor An- 

 gustifoHa, narrow-leaved Arrow Head. These herbes do grow ... in 

 the ditches neere the wals of Oxforde,' Gerard, Herbal, 337, 1597, and 

 ' Sagittaria longissima cnspide pedali. Airoio head 'with a leaf a foot or 

 more long. In the ditches about Oxford,' Merrett's Pinax, 107, 1666. 



'This very graceful plant is found in abundance about Oxford, but 

 there are few parts of the Upper Thames which it does not enliven by 

 its luxuriance.' Hall's Book of the Thames, 80. 



The Sagittaria is common along our chief waterways in all the dis- 

 tricts, and is well known from its unique appearance. 



The narrow-leaved form mentioned by Gerard, the var. 2^arvifoUa, 

 Sibth. Fl. Oxon, 178, is only a state, as is the extreme form mentioned 

 by Merrett. At Wantage I found some specimens with exceptionally 

 narrow sagittate leaves. 



The Arrow Head is found in all the bordering counties. 



DAMASONIUM, Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 7 ^1759), and Adans. Fam. 



ii. 458 (i763\ 



D. Alisma, Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 8 (1768). Star-headed Water Plantain. 



Alisma Damasonium, Linn. Sp. PI. 343. Aciiyiocarpus Damasonium, 



Sm. in Rees, Cycl. Damasonium stellatum, Thuill. Fl. Par. ed. 2, 186. 



D. Damasonium. 

 Top. Bot. 410. Syme, E. B. ix. 74, t. 1442. Nyman, 679. Fl. Oxf. 281. 

 Native. Paludal. Ditches, ponds, in still or stagnant water. Very 



rare. P. June-August, 

 First record. Alisma Damasonium, Rev. Dr. Goodenough [afterwards 



Bishop of Carlisle] in Sm. Fl. Brit. i. 402, 1800. 



4. Kennet. Ditches about Southcote, Fardon in Bot. Guide and Mavor's 



Agr. Berks, 1809. Now, I am afraid, extinct, as I have frequently 

 searched for it ; there is an abundance of Alisma Plantago, but 

 the Damasonium appears to have gone. 



5. Loddon. Winkfield Plain, near Windsor, Eev. Dr. Goodenough. 



Bracknell, Rev. E. F. Witts in Baxt. Phaen. Bot. 437. In the number 

 of ponds which are to be found on the London Clay, on Wink- 

 field Plain and the vicinity, I have also been unsuccessful in my 

 search for Damasonium. Many of the ponds are too much visited 

 by geese to allow of much vegetation, but in those which con- 

 tain the common Alisma I could find no trace of Damasonium. At 

 Bracknell I have been equally unfortunate. One large shallow 

 pond, which is marked on the Ordnance Map, is now drained. 

 At Waltham, or rather between Waltham and Hurst, I found 

 some seedlings, which w^ere not Alisma, and may possibly be 

 these, unless they are only Sagittaria. I still have hopes of 

 finding the plant in Berkshire. 



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