BICKNELL: FERNS AND FLOWERING PLANTS OF NANTUCKET is 
have observed it. It isa smaller plant than the Nantucket species 
with shorter and more rounded joints of a duller green color and 
I have never seen on it even the rudiment of a spine nor observed 
that it ever developed a bulbous woody base or greatly elongated 
roots. It is alsoof more prostrate habit than the Nantucket plant. 
LYTHRACEAE 
DECODON VERTICILLATUS (L.) EIl. 
No aquatic plant of Nantucket grows up in a greater number 
of ponds and bog holes than the swamp loosestrife and where it 
gets a footing it slowly pushes into undisputed possession of the 
places it chooses to occupy. It is the only shrubby aquatic of 
the island’s ponds, where it makes the outermost fringe of vegeta- 
tion along many a bushy shore, its wandlike arching and recurving 
_ stems forming an airy embankment above the water. In the 
autumn its foliage becomes as brilliant as it is possible for leaves 
to be and encircles some of the smaller ponds with a zone of 
variegated scarlet. The Pout Ponds deep set among the hills make 
a memorable scene when thus emblazoned. 
On Nantucket this plant seems to be always more or less 
pubescent, the upper part of the stem and the leaves beneath 
even densely tomentulose with branched or substellate often 
ferruginous hairs. 
New shoots a few inches high May 30, 1909, and just noticeable 
June 3, 1911; in full flower Aug. 15, 1906. 
LyTHrum SaLicaria L. 
Mrs. Owen’s catalogue records ‘‘a few plants in danger of 
extinction near Long Pond.” Today, twenty-five years later, 
a few plants are still to be found there. They grow close to the 
shore at the ‘“‘Gut,’’ where I first saw them Aug. 12, 1906, then 
passing out of bloom. It was in full flower July 10, 1912, and 
beautifully conspicuous from the bright rose-purple spikes borne 
by three separated groups of plants. On June 1, 1909, the tallest 
plants were about six inches high. 
The Nantucket plant is the form having the upper stem and 
the leaves with the bracts and calyx densely white tomentulose— 
var. tomentosum (Mill.) DC. 
