RIVER-SIDE FLOWERS. 375 



How well do we recollect our first sight of the FLOWER- 

 ING RUSH or WATER-GLADIOLE ! We were looking over the 

 old bridge at Walton, and there, in the still water produced 

 by an eddy of the river, was a lovely bunch of pink flowers. 

 We immediately recognised our prize and made a rush to 

 secure it. But, alas ! the water was deep, and the stems 

 were not within reach ; there was nothing for it but to 

 strip, and we soon had root, leaves, flower, and all on the 

 dry bank. How we gloated over and examined our capture 

 bit by bit ! We have since found it in other places on our 

 fishing excursions, but it is not a common plant. The 

 scientific name is Butomus umbellatus (Fig. in " E. B.," 

 1443), and it is the only British plant which has nine 

 stamens. The term Butomus is derived from the Greek 

 words bous, an ox, and tomos, sharp, because the sharp 

 leaves injure the mouths of cattle. 



The leaves grow immediately from the root, are upright, 

 narrow, quite entire, more or less spirally twisted at the 

 extremity, and are two to three feet high. The large 

 umbel of beautiful purplish pink flowers is at the end of 

 a long flowering stalk. 



"The Water Gladiole or Grassie Rush," says Gerarde, 

 " is of all others the fairest and most pleasant to behold, 

 and serveth well for the decking and trimming up of 

 houses, because of the beautie and tracerie thereof." 

 Flowers June and July. 



The MARE'S TAIL (Hippurus vulgaris) Fig. in " E. B.," 

 516 from the Greek words hippos, a horse, and oura, a 

 tail although not a very common plant, is not unfrequently 

 met with in a fisherman's rambles. It is chiefly an inhabi- 

 tant of stagnant waters, and is known by its erect jointed 

 stem, with whorls of leaves at each joint, narrow and pointed, 

 about eight in number. Flowers June and July. 



Another plant, somewhat similar in appearance, but of 

 a totally different order, is the GREAT WATER- HORSETAIL 

 (Equisetum fluviatile) Fig. in " E. B.," 1893; one of the 

 Cryptogamia or non-flowering plants. It is frequently 

 found in muddy lakes and by the sides of rivers and pools, 

 the barren stems rising from three to four feet in height. 



