Lf:MNA - WOLFFIA. 131 



is represented in Fig. 89. The flowers — 

 for these little plants produce true flowers — 

 are produced from the margin of the frond 

 or leaf-portion, as in Fig. 90. In the North- 

 ern States some of the species have never 

 been seen to flower, although L. minor blos- 

 soms abundantly in sheltered ponds. They 

 propagate largely by a sort of budding. A 

 new individual grows out from a cleft in the 



old frond, and after a time detaches itself 

 and becomes free. In the fall little buds 

 or frondlets are formed, which sink to the 

 bottom of the pond, and rise and vegetate in 

 the spring. 



It is to the floating grains, however, that 

 I wish to call attention at present. They 

 are represented at about natural size in Fig. 

 91, at A. These little bodies are the small- 

 est flowering plants known. They consist 

 simply of a minute frond, entirely destitute 

 of roots. There are two species in the North- 

 ern States, one distinguished by its globular 



