THE LIZARD'S TAIL FAMILY. 99 



a long, smooth peduncle. Perianth: none. Stamens: six to eight, spreading, 

 their filaments thread-like. Leaves: alternate, with petioles which sheathe the 

 stem at the nodes; cordate, deeply so at the base and long j^ointed at the apex; 

 entire; thin; palmately five to nine ribbed ; glabrous at maturity. Stem: two to 

 five feet high; branched towards the summit ; jointed. 



Growing in the shallow water of marshes or by the ponds' side there is 

 hardly a more attractive plant than the lizard's tail, although when a soli- 

 tary one is found it needs to be looked at closely before its full beauty is seen. 

 As, however, many of them raise together their tail-like spikes of fluffy, 

 fragrant bloom the effect they produce is charming, and each spike endures 

 for several days. There is but one other member of its genus, a native of 

 Asia. In aquatic gardens the eastern American species is largely cultivated. 



THE WALNUT FAfllLY. 



JiiglandacecB. 



Iiichidiiig trees with compound, alternate leaves which have odd- 

 pinnate and nearly sessile leaflets and which bear mona'cioits, inconspicu- 

 ous flowers ; the sterile ones of which gro7v in drooping ainents zchile the 

 fertile ones are clustered, or solitary. Drupes : large. 



BLACK WALNUT. 



fiiglans nigra. 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Walnut. Rounded. 30 -60-1 50 /^^/f. Texas and Florida north- April., May. 



ward to Massachusetts Fruit: October, 

 and ivestward. 



Bark: blackish; rough with broad ridges. Tivigs : pubescent. Lea^'es : \\\i\\ 

 slightly pubescent stalks from one to two feet long. Leaflets : thirteen to twenty- 

 three; ovate-lanceolate, taper-pointed at the apex and rounded or slightly cordate 

 at the base, the sides often unequal and the lower j^air being smaller than the 

 others; sharply toothed ; yellowish green above and glabrous, paler below and 

 l^ubescent. Staminate ameiifs : long and thick, axillary in the leaf scars of the 

 preceding year. Fruit : large ; globose ; usually solitarv, the husk greenish yel- 

 low when ripe and dotted with brownish red; spongy and decaying to release the 

 nut. N'lit : black; deeply and sharply furrowed, and containing a rich, highly 

 flavoured kernel. 



There are few trees indeed that hold a more assured place in the plant 

 world than the black walnuts. In personality they are attractive with foliage 

 which is noticeable from the odd-pinnate growth of its leaflets ; their nuts 

 are abundant in a richly flavoured, oily meat ; while in commerce their 



