SPRING AND FOUNTAIN PLANTS. 23 



rivers and rapid streams, the Rhine for exam- 

 ple. In this plant, the stamens and pistils grow in 

 different flowers, though on the same plant. The 

 pistil-bearing flowers are themselves lighter than 

 water, and are placed at the end of a long spiral 

 stalk, so that while in flower the stalk contracts 

 or extends much in the manner of a bell-spring, 

 that it may always keep the flower on the 

 surface of the water. No such provision is made 

 for the stamen-bearing flowers, which remain 

 submerged up to the time of the pollen being 

 matured ; as soon as this is the case, the flowers 

 become detached, and rise to the surface, where 

 they scatter their pollen as they float along, and 

 thus the pistilliferous flowers become fertilized. 

 Many of our most beautiful wild flowers in 

 England are among the fresh- water plants. 

 We must just stay to name the water violet, 

 (Hottonia palustris,) the flowering rush, (Buto- 

 mus umbellatus,) the frog-bit, (Hydrocharis 

 morsus ranee,) the water speedwell, ( Veronica 

 anagallis,) the arrow-head, (Sagittaria sagitti- 

 folia,) and the white water crowfoot, (Eanun- 

 culus aquatilis, and R. circinatus.} 



Spring and fountain plants may be distin- 

 guished from the last as growing in the clear, 

 fresh water of springs, or close to them. The 

 little water chickweed, (Montia fontanaj) and 

 the brooklime speedwell, ( Veronica beccabunga,) 

 are examples of this kind of plants, which are, 

 or may be, familiar to every one. Even hot 

 springs are not destitute of vegetation. In 

 Iceland, many plants grow close to the hot 



