108 THE AQUARIUM, APRIL,. 189%: 


SAGITTARIA “FRANCES M.” 
Having waited patiently eight years 
for an opportunity to cross Sagittaria 
lanciolata, a large flowering sub-tropical 
species of the arrowhead family, with 
Sag. ‘‘New Era,” a seedling of Sag. 
natans, we finally succeeded in getting 
the two species in flower at the same 
time seven years ago this spring. The 
products of this cross-fertilization are 
our seedlings ‘* Frances M” and ‘‘ Win- 
dermere.” ‘The latter is a slow grower 
and has not yet flowered, while the 
former is a good grower and very free 
bloomer, bearing flowers nearly eight 
months in the year. 
It having been our aim to produce 
a desirable aquarium plant, which, in 
addition of being a good oxygenator 
for the self-sustaining parlor aquarium, 
would also have an ornamental char- 
acter; we have so far restricted our 
observations regarding the ‘‘ F. M.” to 
in-door culture, and especially just 
such culture as the amateur aquarist, 
for whom it is intended, can give. The 
Ni WN possibilities, what it can or will do in an 
v/ aquatic greenhouse or in an open air 
Vy pond, is yet to be tested. 
The general habit of the plant is that 
of Sag. ‘‘ N. H,”’ its father, but its pro- 
portions are a great deal larger. Dur- 
ing the season from November till 
February, the growth consists of blades, 
rich green in color. These remain en- 
tirely below the surface of the water. 
They are from one to one and a half 
inches in width and from six to eighteen 
inches in length, nicely veined and 
netted and gracefully curved. 
With the approach of spring, in 
March, the aerial leaves appear above 
the water. The first one is narrower 
TA RIA and stiffer than the submerged blades ; 
(T all others that soon follow are dis- 
“FRANCES M)? | tinctly lanceshaped and are born upon 



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