PICKERELWEED FAMILY PONTEDERIACEAE 
PICKERELWEED 
Pontederia cordata L. 
Pickerelweed is found at the borders of ponds and lakes 
throughout most of the eastern half of the United States and 
southeastern Canada. It is a perennial herb with a creeping 
rootstalk from which most of the leaves 
arise. 
The upright stem bears only 1 heart- 
shaped leaf, as shown, and a dense spike 
of beautiful violet-blue flowers. The 
flowers are trimorphic and in_ Illinois 
bloom from July to 
September. The fun- 
nelform perianth is 
2-lipped. The 3 lobes 
of the upper lip are 
grown together but 
the middle one is 
usually distinguished 
by 2 yellow spots. 
The 3 lobes of the 
under lip are spread- 
ing, and their claws, 
forming the lower 
part of the curving 
yay ies Le tube, are nearly sep- 
| arate to the. hase. 
: The 6 stamens are borne on the peri- 
anth and 3 of them have very short 
t filaments. The anthers are oval and 
blue. The style also is bright blue and 
the stigma is minutely 3-6-toothed. The oblong ovary is 3-celled, 
but 2 cells are empty and the third produces a single ovule, so 
that the fruit has only 1 seed. After flowering the upper part of 
the perianth withers but the base hardens and persists around the 
fruit. 
The Narrow-leaved Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata L. var. 
angustifolia Torr., is a form having lanceolate or long triangular 
leaves with rounded base, 2-10 inches long and up to slightly more 
than one-half inch wide. It is nearly as common, having been 
observed from Ontario to New Jersey and south to Florida and Texas. 
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