CuHaPpTer II 
HABITAT 
INTRODUCTION | 
Zizania aquatica grows in North America from about latitude 50° 
on the north to the Gulf of Mexico on the south, and from the Atlantic 
ocean to the Rocky mountains. In Manitoba it extends farther north- 
ward than 50° in the Winnipeg drainage, and in Ontario toward Hudson 
bay. It grows abundantly in the brackish, almost stagnant, waters of 
the Atlantic and Gulf states, and along the sloughs of Mississippi river 
from its headwaters as far south as the state of Mississippi; indeed 
it doubtless occurs along the entire course of this river. It fringes 
the north shore of Lake Ontario, the northwest, west, and southwest 
shores of Lake Erie, Georgian bay of Lake Huron, the shore of Lake 
Huron south of Georgian bay, St. Clair lake, and Green bay of Lake 
Michigan. Besides growing in these great waterways, it flourishes in 
countless small lakes, ponds, and streams in the eastern half of the 
United States. It is especially abundant in the region which this 
memoir designates the ‘‘ wild-rice district.”* In fact, the plant is 
quite common in the United States east of the Rocky mountains, and 
in Canada as far north as latitude 52°, in lakes, ponds, and slow-flowing 
streams which have an alluvial bed. Nowhere will it grow in water 
having a sand or clay bed, or in swiftly flowing streams. 
Hapirat BY STATES 
In this section is presented the wild-rice habitat in the various 
states so far as data could be collected (see plate LXv1). 
ALABAMA. Common in the middle section along streams (letter of 
P. H. Mell, Auburn, Alabama, May 1, 1899). 
‘Tn the preparation of this chapter text-books on botany have been of little or no assistance. They 
have very generally given the habitat of Zizania aquatica in such indefinite language as the follow- 
ing: ‘‘Common from Nova Scotia to Florida and west to Minnesota.’ For the material of this chap- 
ter correspondence has been conducted with college and university teachers of botany and with 
directors of experiment stations in most of the commonwealths of the United States and Canada. 
The effort has been to gather data from each section so that a fairly representative habitat may be 
described, Perhaps the most striking result of the investigation is that which shows how limited 
the knowledge of some of our economic plants is, and that, too, in states in which they are common. 
It is to be hoped that more attention will be given to a systematic study of our economie plants. 
Prof. J. W. Harshberger presents the following reasons for the study of ethno-botany, a term which 
well might be ethno-economic-botany: It aids in elucidating the eulture-position of the tribes which 
used the plant; it helps in deciding the ancient trade routes; and it suggests new lines of manufac- 
ture to-day.—Harshberger, The Purposes of Ethno-botany, Botanical Gazette, March, 1896, p. 146 
et seq. 
“See chapter vi, This wild-rice district is Wisconsin (except its southwestern part) and a part of 
eastern Minnesota. 
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