THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 243 



depth of a foot or more under water; the root a 

 large, oblong fleshy tubercle, out of which come forth 

 cylindrical fibres. The leaves, which remain curious- 

 ly enough always beneath the surface, are pistillate, 

 elliptical, and pierced with innumerable holes in the 

 form of parallelograms, and very close to each other. 

 They consist exclusively of the elegant network of 

 nerves, and thus present the appearance of delicate lace 

 hence the plant is also known as the lace-leaf plant. 

 The color is bright green, and the whole leaf looks as 

 if composed of fine tendrils wrought after a most reg- 

 ular pattern so as to resemble a piece of bright green 

 lace or open needle-work. The flower-stalk, green and 

 cylindrical, is the only part of the plant which rises 

 above the surface and terminates at the top in two to 

 five finger-like spikes, consisting of small pink flow- 

 ers, exhaling a delicious fragrance. These and the 

 seeds develop under the influence of light and air, 

 which the leaves never seem to enjoy. 



Among marvellous flowers we ought also to men- 

 tion the Yallisneria, the typical species of which is the 

 Yallisneria spiralis. The rivers of Southern Europe are 

 adorned with numerous specimens of this remarkable 

 plant, which was long looked upon as one of the most 

 extraordinary in the whole kingdom of Flora on ac- 

 count of the marvellous phenomena which it presents 

 at the time of flowering. The female flowers appear 

 floating on the surface, as if in anxious expectation of 

 others, which they are to fertilize. As if in obe- 

 dience to their call, the male flowers, borne upon a long 

 spiral stem, gradually rise from the bottom of the 

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