iv] THE WATER SOLDIER 49 



so that their tips were below the base of the bud and four or five 

 foliage leaves had unfolded. The two first of these leaves had 

 tiny laminae; no roots were yet developed. 



The rare land form of Hydrocharis Morsus-ranae produces 

 turions earlier in the year than the water form; they are gene- 

 rally subterranean ^. 



Stratiotes abides^ another British member of the Hydro- 

 charitaceae, resembles Hydrocharis very closely in its flower, 

 but is quite unique in vegetative structure. One of its names, 

 " Water Aloe," vividly suggests the character of its appearance. 



Fig. 30. Hydrocharis Morsus-ranae, L. 



Young plant developed from a turion, 



showing the stage reached on May i6, 



191 1. (Nat. size.) [A. A.] 



vc. 



Fig. 31. Stratiotes aloides, L. Semi- 

 diagrammatic sketch of stem, as it 

 appears in August, bisected longitudi- 

 nally (i'.c. = vascular region of stem; 

 c=stem cortex; /.<. = leaf- trace; /=leaf ; 

 St. = young stolon ; s = squamula intrava- 

 ginalis ; i= adventitious root) . (Slightly 

 enlarged.) [Arber, A. (1914).] 



From an abbreviated, almost tuberous stem (Fig. 31) arise 

 a very large number of long, linear leaves, serrated at the 

 edge so sharply as to demand a caution in handling which 

 justifies the plant's generic name and also its commonest 

 English title "Water Soldier." The leaves may be nearly two 

 feet long. Though the plants of Stratiotes live submerged for 

 the greater part of the year, the present writer has noticed, in 

 cultivating them among other aquatics, that their aloe-like form 

 has the effect of keeping the water surface above them clear of 

 swimming plants. 



1 Gluck, H. (1906). 



A. W. P. 



