AQUATICS 131 



A scape i foot or so tall rises out of the water and termi- 

 nates in a spadix of rich yellow color covered with small per- 

 fect yellow flowers. The spathe enclosing the very young 

 spadix becomes bract-like, imperfect, remaining merely as a 

 sheath at the base of the scape, or wholly drops off. 



In ponds and salt marshes, from Massachusetts to Florida, 

 generally near the coast. 



^ r\ '^7 33* Seven-angled Pipewort 



Eriocaiilon septangu/are. — Family, Pipewort. Color, 

 white, lead colored, or even darker. Leaves, short (i to 3 

 inches long), smooth, loosely cellular, pellucid, all from root. 

 Time, July, August. 



Stamens and pistils in different flowers, in the same head. 

 Divisions of perianth, in staminate flowers, 2 or 3, narrow, 

 bearded with fine white hairs ; in pistillate flowers, similar, 

 with an inner set of smaller segments. Stamens, 4 to 6. The 

 flowers are so small that their parts can only be made out with 

 a magnifying- glass. A white, woolly beard abounds among 

 them, and covers the base of the scape, which is long enough 

 to bring the flower-heads to the water's surface, and so may 

 be a few inches or several feet in length. The scape is angled 

 with 4 to 7 lines, often twisted. 



This singular aquatic is not very common. In the ponds where 

 it grows from August to October, under overhanging trees, the 

 surface of the water will be dotted with the white flowers, and 

 where the water is shallow the tips of the leaves can be seen. 

 Its range is from Newfoundland. to Texas. 



34. Greater Duckweed 



Spirodela polyrh)za. — Family, Duckweed. Color, flower 

 seldom seen. Leaves, strictly thalli, loosely cellular, very 

 small, 2 or 3 together, purple, convex beneath, dark green 

 above, palmately nerved. 



