396 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



anywhere else. The narrow leaves, arranged in whorls, give it a 

 shapeliness and symmetry which makes it rather attractive. The 

 flowers, while not conspicuous, are rather pretty. The pods are 

 quite slender and elongate. Noted in flower in the latter part of 

 August. 



619. GREEN MILKWEED 



ACERATES VIRIDIFLORA (Raf.) Eaton 



Rather rare in the vicinity of the lake ; a few plants found along 

 the railroad track a little south of the Outlet bridge. It occurs 

 more abundantly by the railroad track in the vicinity of Plymouth, 

 though it is by no means common there. It is usually found in a 

 dry sandy oil. The dense heads of blossoms which are green are 

 so symmetrically and evenly arranged that the different parts of 

 the flowers usually fall in line, making circles of light and dark or 

 fulness and openness, which gives a pleasing sense of symmetry 

 and an impression of unity, so that one does not notice the 

 peculiarities of the individual flowers so much as that of the umbel 

 as a whole. Flowering late in June. 



620. FLORIDA MILKWEED 



ACERATES FLORIDANA (Lam.) A. S. Hitchc. 



Our only record of this plant is that of an herbarium specimen 

 collected by Dr. Scovell. It should be fairly common, as conditions 

 and range are well satisfied by the area about the lake. It is found 

 about lakes in neighboring counties. 



FAMILY 121. CONVOLVULACE.E. MORNING-GLORY FAMILY 



621. MAN-OF-THE-EARTH; WILD POTATO VINE 



IPOMOEA PANDURATA (L.) Meyer 



A few vines in blossom seen along a fence west of the lake. 

 Vines of what appeared to be this species were pretty common on 

 the east side of Long Point, but they did not seem to thrive in the 

 soil there, and did not blossom. It does not appear to be a bad 

 weed in the vicinity of the lake. 



In many parts of the country this plant is a great nuisance. 

 The vines shoot up quickly in spring, and, fed by an enormous 

 root, grow rapidly and twine about and smother growing crops. 

 The root, while it contains considerable starch, is hard and woody ; 

 one was cooked a whole day to discover whether it would in any 

 way resemble the sweet potato, to which it is closely related, but 

 it remained as tough as a bit of wood. 



