OUR AMPHIBIOUS PERSICARIAS 17 
broadly lancelate, very acute, rounded, truncate or subcordate 
at the base; petioles 7.5-10 cm. long, those of the uppermost 
showing slight traces of hairs in form of a diminutive muriculation: 
spikes ‘often 2, cylindric, longer and narrower than that of the 
aquatic phase. Leaves with a slight gloss of purple beneath 
particularly noticeable when fresh leaves are viewed at angle; 
ochreae close-appressed, glabrous, shiny: young leaves slimy in- 
the water, the slime drying to a thin silvery film on recession of 
the water: margin of the leaves often minutely and appressed 
scabrous ciliate. 
Transition Phase. (a) Offshoots from the rootstock at the 
very edge of the water often become prostrate and as they lengthen 
out by growth, become floating riparian or aquatic phases: the 
leaves at first more or less roughish pubescent “slime off” their 
hairiness, the newer leaves often being almost smooth: shape of 
the leaves passing gradually into those of the aquatic from the ter- 
restrial.(b). 
(b.) Erect stems at the water’s edge or in a few inches of water 
arising from a subterranean rootstock: leaves’ in shape nearly 
like those of the terrestrial form much narrower than those of the 
aquatic or riparian, about one half as wide, usually nearly as long, 
rather long acuminate to a bluntish apex, subcordate or obtuse: 
leaves bright green and when in flower usually glabrous except 
minutely scabrous on the veins and margin: the lower earlier 
leaves often scabrous on the upper surface near the margin: ochreae 
very thin, glabrous the lower ones often with some long scattered 
appressed hairs. Herbaceous spreading margin of ochrea never 
developed by any phase late in the season. 
(c.) Early Spring and Summer Transition Phase. Plant more 
or less hirsute or hirtellous varying with the age of the shoot, the 
earlier plant with long scattered spreading hairs, especially on the 
midrib veins and the upper half of the ochrea, the latter usually 
appressed: ochrea with a more or less wide spreading green, hirsute 
ciliate herbaceous border in spring plants, absent in summer: 
spike slightly narrower than the aquatic; peduncle usually dark 
purple, scabrous, glandular in all transition forms: bracts of the 
flowers in all phases ovate glabrous, acute at the apex. 
Terrestrial Phase. Plant more or less hirsute scabrous 
pubescent or even glabrous according to the season; never known 
to flower: ochrea with spreading tips seldom present or small at 
