202 



Minnesota Plant Life. 



plant is pulle<l up by the roots it will be discovered very possiblv 

 that there are broad or slender ^s^rass-like leaves submerged in 

 the water. In one Minnesota \'a- 

 riety the arrow-headed leaves float 

 upon the surface of the water like 

 those of the pond-lilies, but more 

 commonly they are not natant. In 

 some species all of the leaves are 

 grass-like or slender, while the 

 plants must be recognized rather by 

 their characteristic tlowers. A large 

 number of separate carpels are pro- 

 duced in each flower and when it 

 ripens the group of carpels l)Ccome 

 a more or less spherical head. In 

 each of the closed carpels or ovaries 



, , ,• , , 1 Fif-- so. Arrowhead. After Brittou 



is a smgle erect seed slightly curved. and nrown. 



In Minnesota there are at least six species of arrowheads. 



Eel-grasses. A fifth fam- 

 ily in this second order in- 

 cludes the well-known eel- 

 grass, the ])lant which gives 

 so delicate a flavor to the 

 flesh of the canvas-back 

 duck, which is very fond of 

 pulling it and eating the 

 soft parts of the leaves and 

 stems. There is something 

 very remarkal)le about the 

 way in which this plant pro- 

 duces its flowers. The gen- 

 eral plant-body consists of a 

 , short stem rooted in the 

 mud on the bottoms of lakes 

 near their edges. The leaves 



I-l.;. HI. Kel-Kras.s. After Hritf.n and Itn.wn .^^y^. long, graSSdlkc aiul of a 



diaphanous translucent green, rarely floating at the surface, 

 more generally sul)merged and ascending. The pistillate flow- 

 ers are produced at the end of a very long, slender spiral stem 



