54 BULLETIN 794, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICIiLTtJRE. 



RAT LAKE, CHERRY COUNTY. 



September 3-4, 1915. 



Description. — Little or no marsh. Fresh water, mostly open ; greatest average 

 depth, 8 feet ; bottom mostly sandy. Inlet from Beaver Lake, these two lakes 

 being connected by a strip of water a few rods wide. 



DiSTEIBUTION OF VEGETATION. 

 SHOEE PLANTS. 



1. Wild millet (Echinochloa crus-galK).* 



Mature fruit ; common. 



2. Satin grass (Muhlenbergia foliosa).* 



Flowers. 



3. Wild rye (Elymus canadensis). Com- 



mon. 



4. Indian grass (Sorglia-striini nutans).* 



Flowers. 



5. Richweed (Pilea pttmila). 



6. Water smartweed {Polygonum amphi- 



iium). Common. 



7. Bush clover (Lespedeza capitata).* 



Sparse. 



8. Prairie trefoil {HosacTcta americana) .* 



Mature fruit ; abundant on higher 

 sandy shore of lake margin. 



Other grasses, small sedges, etc., as listed for neighboring bodies of water. 



9. Evening primrose (Oenothera oakesi- 

 ana).* Sparse. 



10. Mint {Mentha canadensis). 



11. Blue verbena (^Verbena hastata).* 

 Flowers. 



12. Prairie sage {Artetnisia gnaphalodes) .* 

 Flowers ; rare. 



13. Goldenrod {Solidago altissima).* Flow- 

 ers. 



14. Bushy goldenrod (Euthamia gramini- 

 folia).* Flowers. 



15. White wreath-aster (Aster multiflorus) .* 

 Flowers ; common. 



Little or no marsh. 



MARSH PLANTS. 



SEMISUBMEEGED PLANTS. 



Do7ninants: 



16. Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia). 



17. Spike rush (Eleocharis acuminata). 



Secondary species: 



18. Big bulrush (Scirpus occidentalis) . 



19. Water smartweed (Polygonum amphi- 



iium).* Mature fruit. 



SLTBMEKGED PI>ANTS. 



Dominant : 



20. Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum). 

 Secondary species: 



21. Musk grass (Chara spp).* Common. 



22. Floating pondweed (Potamogeton nu- 



tans). 



23. Curly pondweed (Potamogeton per- 



foliatus richardsonii) . Common. 



24. Small pondweed (Potamogeton pusil- 



lus). Abundant. 



25. Sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectina- 



tus ) . Common. 



26. Illinois pondweed (Potamogeton illi- 



noensis). Common. 



27. Bushy pondweed (Najas flexilis). Com- 



mon. 



28. Spike rush {Eleocharis acicularis). 



Abundant. 



29. Water smartweed (Polygonum amphi- 

 ■ Mum). Rare. 



33. Star duckweed (Lemna trisulca). 

 Abundant. 



FLOATING PLANTS. 



31. Big duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) . 



32. Small duckweed (Lemna minor). 



33. Star duckweed 

 Abundant. 



(Lemna trisulca). 



Wild-dticJx food. — Plants in the above list which have considerable value as 

 food for wild ducks are : Nos. 16, 18. 20, 21, 24, 25. 27. 31, 32, and 33 ; those of 

 less importance are: Nos. 1, 6, 17, 19 (29). 22, 23. 26, 28, and 30; the remainder 

 are of no known value. 



