igS 



THE NATURE BOOK 



one of the flowers be examined, it will 

 be found to have the same shape as the 

 flower of the Dead Nettle or the Ground 

 I\y; that is to say, that the portions of 

 the corolla form two hps. All these 

 plants are included in the family (if 

 Lahiatcc. There are five teeth in the 



as the Water Plantain (AlismacecB), but it 

 differs \"ery much in one resj:)ect ; inas- 

 much as the Water Plantain bears both 

 the stamens, and stigmas with seed 

 bearing carpels in the same flower, the 

 Arrow-head bears two distinct kinds of 

 flowers, the upper ones being the males, 



THE AKKOW - HEAD. 



cal5^\. which is also slightly two-lipped ; 

 four stamens, all of the same size, will also 

 be found. 



The Corn Mint {Mentha arvenis) is very 

 similar in appearance, and almost as 

 common, but is found growing in fields. 

 Both species flower during the summer 

 and autumn. 



ARROW-HEAD 



The Arrow-head iSagitiaria sagitli- 

 folia) is a member of the same family 



bearing stamens, and the lower ones the 

 females, possessing the future seed vessels ; 

 the latter will be seen to be more shortly 

 stalked than the former. 



The leaves are very distinctly shajicd 

 in the form of an arrow-head, and rise from 

 the water on long stalks ; the three inner 

 ]x>rtions of the perianth are white with a 

 ])urple mark at the base, and much longer 

 than the three outer green ones. The 

 flowering time extends through the summer 

 and early autumn. 



H. PuKEFOV Fitzgerald. 



