172 Lake Maxinkuckce, Physical and Biological Survey 



tion. Still more interesting and significant would be the experi- 

 ment of taking a propagating bud from a pistillate plant and plant- 

 ing it in deep water and noting the result. The reason for the 

 peculiar distribution of the staminate and pistillate plants is per- 

 fectly clear. The pistillate flower is carried to the surface of the 

 water by a long, slender scape, inasmuch as it is necessary for it 

 to be fertilized in the air, and there are naturally limits to which 

 it is practicable to send up this scape. The staminate flower, on 

 the other hand, breaks loose from the parent plant, rises to the 

 surface and depends upon chance currents to float it to the pistil- 

 late plant, which it fertilizes. During August the staminate flowers 

 are often found floating on the surface in great numbers. They 

 frequently formed a thick scum in the region of the Outlet in 1906, 

 and towings from the surface plankton-net consisted mainly of 

 them. As soon as the pistillate flower is fertilized the flower stalk 

 coils up into a spiral and draws it beneath the water where it de- 

 velops into a long cylindrical or obtusely triangular pod full of 

 mucilage, with an abundance of minute dark seeds and with a 

 slightly acid taste. 



The Eel-grass usually grows rather scattered and a few plants 

 are often dredged up intermixed with Chara and other weeds. 

 Some was dredged at the Weedpatch. A very dense little patch was 

 found growing in a bait-can which had been dropped in the lake. 

 It frequently makes pretty dense patches not far from shore. It 

 grows abundantly at the head of the Outlet, at the railroad pier, 

 and along the west side of the lake east of Long Point. It seems 

 in general to prefer rich bottom with a good admixture of sand. 



During the earlier years of the lake survey this plant did not 

 appear to be so abundant as it now is. This was probably due 

 to the raids made upon it by the ducks and coots, which almost 

 exterminated it every year, but with the growing scarcity of these 

 birds it seems greatly on the increase. New patches are being 

 formed, one along the northern shore of Long Point and many in 

 other places. 



This plant is the favorite food of ducks and coot, and it is said 

 the canvasback duck owes its superior flavor to this plant, upon 

 which it largely feeds and to which indeed it owes its specific 

 name, valisineria. During the latter part of September great rolls 

 of this plant which have all been torn up by the water fowl, are 

 washed up along the shore of the lake, making long windrows. 

 The "wild celery" as this plant is known along the Chesapeake, 

 bears at its base a white pleasant-tasted rootstock which terminates 



