ALISMACE^) WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY 



Sagittaria Engelmanniana, J. G. Sm. 



White Arrow-head. 



July-September 



Sagittaria: from Latin for an arrow, in allusion to the 



prevailing form of the leaves. 

 Engelmanniana: in honour of the botanist Engelmann. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: wet bogs. 



THE PLANT: erect; the flower stem eight inches to twenty 

 inches high, without hairs. 



THE LEAVES: sheathing the base of the flower stem; nar- 

 rowly sagittate, although varying greatly in size and form; 

 they may be from one and a half to eight inches long; 

 three quarters of an inch or less wide; without hairs on 

 either surface; the lobes at the base narrowly linear, 

 acuminate, one third to one half the length of the leaf; 

 the edge entire; parallel- veined. 



THE FLOWERS: in threes, small, one inch broad, or less; 

 three petals, which fall early; six stamens. 



THE FRUIT: achenes, narrowly wedge-shaped with long 

 and sometimes curved beaks; the sides usually one to 

 three crested. 



In general this plant is to be distinguished from the 

 latifolia by its slighter build, 

 ii 



