APONOGETON 



THE BULB BOOK 



APONOGETON 



would make a good substitute for the 

 potato in Europe. 



APONOGETON (Celtic apon, water ; 

 geiton, neighbour; in reference to place 

 of growth). Nat. Ord. Naiadacese. — A 

 genus containing about twentyspecies, 

 of which the best known are : — 



A. Bemieriana is closely related to 

 A. fenestrale. It has pinkish flowers, 

 but narrower and longer leaves, with 

 closer netted veins. 



A. capensis (or A. angustlfoliiun) 

 is like a small A. distachyon, having 

 small long-stalked leaves and small 

 white flowers (Gard. Ghron. 1906, 

 xxxix. 306; xl. 341). 



A. distachyon, the Cape Pondweed 

 or Winter Hawthorn. — A very orna- 

 mental S. African water plant, having 

 flattish brown tuberous root-stocks. 



Fig. 55. — Aponogeton distachyon, (^.) 



from which arise masses of stalked 

 oblong lance-shaped distinctly veined 

 leaves, which float on the surface of 

 the water. The forked spikes of 

 white sweet-scented flowers appear 

 from September to Christmas, each 

 blossom having six stamens with 

 conspicuous brown anthers, and many 

 carpels. (Sot. Mag. t. 1293.) 



The "Winter Hawthorn" is quite 

 hardy in the milder parts of the 

 Kingdom, and may be grown in 

 ponds, lakes, or streams of fresh 

 water. The plants are best placed 



86 



in pots or pans, 'and these are sunk 

 about a foot below the surface of the 

 water. In this way they will be safely 

 secured from frost. To increase the 

 plants, the root-stocks should be 

 carefully divided in spring, after 

 the leaves and flowers have withered. 

 Seeds may also be sown when ripe 

 in sandy soil in pots that can be 

 submerged in water. This plant can 

 also be grown easily in large beU- 

 glasses or water-tanks in cool rooms, 

 or in cold greenhouses. 



A. fenestrale. — This is the w6nder- 

 f ul Lace-leaf or Lattice-leaf plant of 

 Madagascar, for years well known as 

 Ouvirandra. It is a singular aquatic 

 plant with tuberous rhizomes, and 

 broadly elliptic lance-shaped leaves 

 6 to 18 ins. long, floating horizontally 

 beneath the water surface, and being 

 remarkable for having no soft tissue 

 between the nerves or veins, the 

 latter forming a beautiful netted 

 lacework. The flowers are greenish- 

 white, borne on forked spikes. (£ot, 

 Mag. t. 4894.) 



A. fenestrale and its relatives 

 require to be grown in hothouses, 

 in water-tanks or tubs, the tempera- 

 ture most suitable being about 75° 

 to 80° F. The rhizomes should be 

 planted in a compost of turfy loam, 

 and well-matured cow-manure and 

 leaf -mould in about equal proportions, 

 and should not be deeper than 6 to 

 9 ins. from the surface of the water. 

 The plants may be grown in an 

 ordinary washing-tub beneath the 

 stages, in a stove house, or tropical 

 fernery. Propagation is effected 

 chiefly by dividing the root-stocks, 

 but new plants may also be obtained 

 from seeds. 



A. Henkelianum differs from A. 

 fenestrale in having a larger rhizome, 

 erect instead of creeping, and the 

 leaves are a paler green (Gard. Ghron. 

 1906, xl. 270, ff. 108, 109). 



