RIVER BANKS— BROOKS— RUNNING STREAMS 27 



long petioles, strongly arrow-shaped, with deep, pointed lobes. 

 Time, July, August. 



Floiocrs in whorls of 3 about the leafless scape. The upper 

 whorls are staminate, with 3 large, rounded white petals and 

 numerous stamens. The lower one (jr two whorls are of 

 smaller, inconspicuous, and fertile flowers, with 3 sepals. 18 

 inches to 3 feet high. 



A familiar plant, noticeable quite as much for its handsome 

 dark-gieen arrow-shaped leaves, as for its pretty spike of broad 

 white blossoms. Sometimes it grows entirely in water. More 

 often it stands up on the wet banks of slowly moving streams. 

 There are many species and varieties of Sagittaria, marked by 

 variability of leaves, some of which lose the arrow-shape and 

 become long and narrow. 



39. Lungwort. Virginia Cowslips 



Mertensia l/irginica. — Fa?nily, Borage. Color, deep-blue. 

 Leaves, alternate, entire, quite veiny. Those near the root 

 5 or 6 inches long, with petioles. Time, May. 



Corolla, trumpet-shaped, about i inch long. Calyx, short, 

 deeply 5-parted. Staviens, 5, inserted on the calyx-tube, with 

 somewhat arrow-shaped anthers. Flowers in loose panicles or 

 clusters, the lower ones with leafy bracts, all on slender 

 pedicels, i to 2 feet high. 



New York to South Carolina and westward. Often cultivated. 



