6 



BULLETIN 58, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



divergence of the latter. Various forms of leaves are illustrated by 

 figure 5. The wapato ])lant sometimes reaches a height of 4 feet. 

 The appearance of the flowers and seed balls is much the same as in 

 the delta duck potato. 



The tubers of S. latifolia (fig. 6), from six to nine in number per 

 plant, are formed on runners in the same manner as those of the delta 

 duck potato, but they attain a much larger size. The largest speci- 

 men examined by the writer is 2 inches in its longest diameter and 1 

 inch tliick. Including the bud and a short stalk at the base, the entire 

 tuber may measure as much as 5 inches in length. The mature 

 tubers of plants from the northwest are more or less flattened, the 

 shape being comparable to that of the ordinary edible crab. The 

 smaUer tubers are more nearly spherical (varying to ovoid), and tliis 

 is the shape of even the largest tubers of eastern plants that the writer 

 has seen. The sheaths of the tuber being of a darker color than the 

 body are conspicuous. 



Fig. o. — Various shapes of ^vapato leaves. (About one-tenth natural size.) 

 DISTRIBUTION. 



Sa^ittaria latifolia is found from tlie Altantic to the Pacific coast, 

 its range covering practically the whole United States. Areas from 

 wliich it apparently has not been reported are peninsular Florida, 

 the southern two-thirds of Louisiana and Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, 

 and southern CaUfornia. The northern limit of its range is marked 

 by the foUo\^*ing locahties: Vancouver Island, Saskatchewan River, 

 and southern Ontario and Quebec. Sagittaria arifolia is confined to 

 States from Michigan and Kansas westward. Its range is largely 

 included in that of latifolia, although it has been collected in New 

 Mexico. The two species are only distinguishable with certainty 

 u]K)n the basis of mature seeds, and for all practical purposes may be 

 considered as one. (See fig. 7.) 



PROPAGATION. 



Wapato may be transplanted by means of both seeds and tubers, 

 but the latter are the most reliable and give the quickest results. 

 They may be set with the bud just beneath the surface in mud bottom 

 under a foot, or preferably less, of water. The plants wiU grow in 



