170 Field Columbian Museum — Zoology, Vol. VII. 



sides of the mountains immediately bordering the lake. The low 

 flat area to the north and east is under cultivation. On it are grown 

 sugar cane, lemons, oranges, and various other tropical fruits. The 

 shrubs which grow close to the water's edge belong mostly to the 

 Compositae, and with these are usually associated many species of 

 Lichens, Mosses, Hepatics, Ferns, and the like. 



The flowering plants of the marshes are only moderately abundant 

 along the shores of Lake Amatitlan, for there is very little low wet 

 land along the margins, and very small areas of shallow water. The 

 sudden great depth makes it quite impossible for the higher aquatic 

 plants, particularly the marsh plants, to secure a foothold. 



The most conspicuous of these marsh plants is a species of Cat-tail 

 {Typha angustifolia) , and a tall Rush (Scirpus sp.). These two species 

 are recognized as Tules by the natives, who cut and dry them for 

 weaving into mats. They usually grow together, and when this occurs 

 one is generally much more abundant than the other. The Rush is 

 the more abundant of the two in the deeper water. Neither of these 

 grows where the water is more than five or six feet in depth, more than 

 half of the plant being above the water. A small Spike Rush (Eleo- 

 charis sp.) is quite abundant along the shore next the lowland where 

 sandy. It grows to a height of from one to eight inches, and is usually 

 entirely submerged. It is at the base of these Cat-tails and Rushes 

 that the larger Moj arras find their best breeding and spawning 

 grounds, and where the fishermen find the capture of these fishes the 

 easiest. 



There are two species of grasses growing in patches along the shore 

 of the lake. The larger one (Panicum sp.) is more common on the 

 south side of the lake, more particularly where the margin is rocky. 

 In general appearance it resembles sugar cane more than it does any 

 other plant growing in the water of the lake, the other grass (Phrag- 

 mites sp.) is widely distributed here, but is nowhere abundant. It 

 occurs mostly on the side adjacent to the lowlands. 



There are two floating plants which occur on the lake ; the smaller 

 (Salvinia natans) is the more widely distributed, being found in most 

 places where there is other vegetation, and especially so in the neigh- 

 borhood of warm springs. The larger of these floating plants is the 

 Water Lettuce (Pistia obcordata), not found except along the shore 

 next the low lands. It is abundant at only one plant, about one half 

 mile above the railroad. The inhabitants call this plant La Chuga. 

 It is easily distinguished from all other floating plants by its broad 

 leaves growing in the form of rosettes. 



There are several species of IMckerelweeds growin^^r in ihc shallow 



