120 SUMMER FLOWERS. 



The leaves are roundisli^ entire^ somewhat fleshy^ smooth, and 

 lie flat on the water. The flowers rise up amongst and above 

 the leaves, and consist of three small outer green segments, 

 representing a calyx, and three larger inner white ones repre- 

 senting the petals of a corolla, and large enough to give the plant 

 a rather attractive character, being produced freely on the sur- 

 face of ponds and ditches. In the staminate flowers, a variable 

 number of stamens, from three to twelve, is produced ; while in 

 the female flowers, which have an inferior ovary, there are six 

 styles with two-cleft stigmas. The flowers issue from spathes 

 formed of two thin bracts, those of the male plants being 

 shortly stalked, and those of the females sessile among the 

 leaves ; in the latter the pedicel is enlarged at the top into a 

 sort of tube to the perianth, enclosing the ovary, which be- 

 comes a dry six-celled fruit, containing several seeds. Mr. 

 Lees has observed of this common water-plant : " The economy 

 of this almost unregarded tenant of the water is not unworthy 

 of notice, nor when closely examined is it devoid of beauty. 

 Its floating reniform leaves are purple beneath, and it in- 

 creases almost entirely by floating runners, so that small re- 

 tired pools are sometimes entirely covered with the thick-set 

 foliage, affording an impervious retreat to thousands oiLymneae 

 and aquatic insects. The stainless flowers are of so delicate a 

 structure that they are injured by contact with the water, and 

 instead therefore of floating on its surface, they are providently 

 provided with elevating stalks, around whose basis is a pellucid 

 protecting bract. About wild commons and shady untrodden 

 lanes, little shield-like pools often appear, whose waters are 

 entirely hidden, roofed over, with a verdant covering of the 

 HydrochariSj and scattered about this emerald table appear the 

 numerous white and delicate tripetaled blossoms, as if Titania 

 and her fairy court had there prepared a picnic banquet in the 



