YELLOW FLAG 135 



Hydrocharis, Linnaeus, is from the Greek hitdor, water, charts, 

 elegance, grace. Morsus-rance, Dodonaeus, is from morsus, bitten, 

 rana, frog, because the margin was supposed to be bitten by frogs. 



The only name by which it is known is Frogbit. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



288. Hydrocharis morsus -ranee, L. Plant floating with runners, 

 leaves tufted, reniform, entire, smooth, purplish below, flowers white, 

 from a pellucid sheath, sepals green. 



Yellow Flag (Iris Pseudacorus, L.) 



This marsh plant is found in the Neolithic deposits at Crossness, 

 and Fife. To-day it is found in Europe, N. Africa, and Siberia in the 

 N. Temperate Zone. In Great Britain the Yellow Flag is universally 

 distributed. It is also found in Ireland. 



One of the most distinctive components of the marginal vegetation 

 of watery places is this plant, which is common in every habitat where 

 aquatic conditions are continuous and marked. It is a denizen of ponds, 

 pools, and lakes. It is to be found by the side of every stream and 

 river, often in ditches, and it invades the wider areas of marsh and 

 bog-land, growing in the reed swamp. 



This is a tall plant, with leaves all or mainly radical, adopting the 

 grass habit. The plant has the flag habit. The rootstock is acrid, 

 stout, and creeping. The stem is round in section. The leaves are 

 flat, long, broad, sword-shaped, mainly radical, equitant. 



The scapes are leafy, sometimes branched above. The flowers 

 are deep-yellow. The ultimate flower-stalks are as long as the ovary. 

 The petals are spoon-shaped, shorter than the sepals, 3, erect, the 

 latter being petaloid and purple-veined, with an orange spot near the 

 base. The 3 outer perianth-segments are of clear yellow, large and 

 spreading, bent back, the blade broadly inversely egg-shaped, the claw 

 rather short. The tube is cylindrical. The stigmas are long and 

 narrow, longer than the petals, yellow. The capsule is leathery, 

 3-angled, 3-ribbed, the seeds numerous, vertically flattened, with flat 

 faces, with a hard testa. 



The Yellow Flag is 3 ft. high. Flowers are found in June. This 

 beautiful plant is a perennial deciduous herbaceous plant, propagated 

 by division of the rhizome. It is quite worthy of a place in our 

 gardens. 



The flowers are honeyed. The outer perianth is petaloid, in 6 parts 

 (2 sets of 3 segments), v/ith sepals taking the place of petals, bending 



