WATER PLANTAIN FAMILY. Alismacess 



shows, according to Gray, four variations as follows : 

 var, obtusa {S. latifolia, Form a, of J. G. Smith) has 

 flowers mostly of the third order above described, and 

 broad, blunt-pointed leaves : var. latifolia {S. latifolia 

 proper of J. G. Smith) has the second, or imperfectly the 

 third order of flowers above described, and varying broad 

 or narrow, acute leaves : var. angustifolia (S. latifolia, 

 Form d, of J. G. Smith) has flowers of the second order, 

 and leaves with narrow, divergent lobes ; found in 

 mountain districts : var. diversifolia (S. latifolia, Form 

 e, of J. G. Smith) has flowers of the second order, 

 and lance-shaped or broader leaves, variably arrow- 

 pointed. These are mere forms, not varieties. 

 Sagittaria vari- ^ well established type with very broad 

 abilis yar.jm- blunt leaves, is pubescent, or woolly- 

 bescens coated, especially the flower-stem. This 



is the S. latifolia jnibescens of J. G. Smith. It is found 

 from Me., south, usually east of the Alleghanies. 

 Sagittaria En- This is also a well established type, the 

 gelmanniana flowers of which are scarcely 1 inch 

 J. G. Smith across, and the leaves remarkably narrow 

 and linear. The fruit is a narrow wedge-shaped nutlet 

 tipped with a small erect beak. Somewhat rare. Mass. , 

 N. Y., N. J., south. The leaves of the arrowhead are 

 shiny dark green, and the three-petaled flowers are pure 

 wliite relieved by the charming bit of golden yellow 

 contributed by the large anthers. The flowers grow in 

 clusters of three, the staminate ones above, and the 

 pistillate below. The pollen is distributed bj^ a variety 

 of agents, not least of which are the insects which fre- 

 quent wet places, among them the beautiful glassy- 

 winged dragon-fly. The tendency of some of the types 

 to develop only staminate flowers on one plant and pistil- 

 late on another, suggests the probability that Sagittaria 

 is beginning to rely entirely upon insects for fertiliza- 

 tion. Remarkably decorative in every part of its struc- 

 ture, the arrowhead like the cat-tail is a great favorite 

 among artists. Common everywhere. The three forms 

 angustifolia, latifolia (2nd order), and obtusa (3rd order), 

 are reported in Neb. by H. J. Webber. 



