PICKERELWEED FAMILY 



PONTEDERIACEAE 



PICKERELWEED 



Pontederia cordata L. 



Pickerelweed is found at the borders of ponds and lakes 



throughout most of the eastern half of the United States and 



southeastern Canada, It is a perennial herb with a creeping 



rootstalk from which most of the leaves 



arise. 



The upright stem bears only i heart- 

 shaped leaf, as shown, and a dense spike 

 of beautiful violet-blue flowers. The 

 flowers are trimorphic and in Illinois 

 bloom from July to 

 September. The fun- 

 nelform perianth is 

 2-lipped. The 3 lobes 

 of the upper lip are 

 grown together but 

 the middle one is 

 usually distinguished 

 by 2 yellow spots. 

 The 3 lobes of the 

 under lip are spread- 

 ing, and their claws, 

 forming the lower 

 part of the curving 

 tube, are nearly sep- 

 arate to the base. 

 The 6 stamens are borne on the peri- 

 anth and 3 of them have very short 

 filaments. The anthers are oval and 

 blue. The style also is bright blue and 

 the stigma is minutely 3-6-toothed. The oblong ovary is 3-celled, 

 but 2 cells are empty and the third produces a single ovule, so 

 that the fruit has only i seed. After flowering the upper part of 

 the perianth withers but the base hardens and persists around the 

 fruit. 



The Narrow-leaved Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata L. var. 

 angustifolia Torr., is a form having lanceolate or long triangular 

 leaves with rounded base, 2-10 inches long and up to slightly more 

 than one-halt inch wide. It is nearly as common, having been 

 observed from Ontario to New Jersey and south to Florida and Texas. 



46 



