4 54 Beautiful Plants growing wild 



most swelled out at the base, and somewhat acute ; the two 

 next, longer than the corolla, narrow at base, wider and 

 obtnse at top ; the two remaining ones small, acute, and 

 white. Corolla purple, pea-blossom shaped ; the middle 

 lobe white, with a purple crest. — Woods, Brookline. — Rare. — 

 May. 



PONTEDERIA. 



PontccUria corddta. Pickerel weed. The tall blue spikes 

 of this very beautiful, but rather common species, are very 

 conspicuous on the borders of rivers and ponds of deep water, 

 with muddy bottoms. Stem upright, one or two feet high, 

 fleshy, cylindrical. Leaves three or four inches long, heart- 

 shaped, very smooth, with convergent nerves ; stem-leaf 

 sheathing at the base of its stalk. Flowers blue, crowded into a 

 long, cylindrical spike. — Fresh water. — Fresh Pond, »*tc. — 

 July, August. 



A variety, angustfoUa, has elongated, triangular leaves, 

 somewhat heart-shaped and cut off at base. 



Rhexf A, 



Rhexia virginica Meadow Beauty. Deer Grass. Stem 

 square, one foot high, with winged or mendjranous angles, and 

 scattering hairs. Leaves oi)posite, stemless, ovate-lance- 

 formed, three-nerved, sprinkled with closely pressed hairs on 

 both sides ; the margin of the leaf being more or less notch- 

 ed, and having parallel hairs, like eye-lashes. Calyx urn- 

 shaped, hairy, cleft into four sharp-pointed segments. Petals 

 four, of a delightful, fresh, rosy purple, finely contrasted with 

 very showy, long, curved, bright-yellow anthers. Style 

 arching. — Low grounds. — Rather scarce. — Brighton. — July, 

 August. 



RUDBECICfA. 



Rudbeckia lacinidta Cone disc Sunflower. A tall plant, 

 resembling the sunflower. Stem upright, round, sleek, from 

 five to eight feet high, branching. Leaves rough ; the lower 

 ones with stems, and so deeply cut, or scolloped, as to form 

 (almost or quite) about five distinct leaflets, or lanceolate, 

 gash-toothed segments, the tip leaflet being the largest ; upper 

 leaves nearly stemless, egg-shaped, twice cut. The calyx 

 has about eight scales or segments. Rays of the flower yellow, 

 lanceolate, drooping ; disc or centre of the flower greenish, 

 conical. — Swamps, and wet meadows. — Near Newton Corner. — 

 August. 



Sagittaria. 



Of this genus we have at least three species growing wild 

 near Boston, namely, the Sagittaria sagittifolia, with large 

 arrow-shaped leaves, and the S. acutifblia (a dwarf species,) 

 with small, grass-formed leaves, both of them growing at Fresh 

 Pond ; also, the S. helerophyUa (found at Newton,) with 



