WATER PLANTS— WATERSIDE PLANTS 403 



belonging to the kind punched on the copper. With copper and 

 punches conveniently at hand no more time will be used than in 

 writing an ordinary label. This method is a safe one also, where 

 a permanent label is desired for preserving the names of outdoor 

 vines, shrubs and trees. 



ACORUS (Variegated Sweet Flag). A grassy looking plant, 

 with finely marked leaves. It is well suited for growing on the mar- 

 gins of artificial lakes; few other places will keep it in a healthy state 

 unless the soil be moist and partly shaded. The commonest in cul- 

 tivation is the A. calamus variegaius. The leaves are striped deep 

 yellow when young, fading to a paler color later in Summer. A. 

 gramineus variegaius is an exceedingly handsome little variegated 

 plant, growing only a few inches high. It will thrive in much drier 

 soil than the first named species. It makes a great number of grassy 

 looking growths, so that division is an easy matter at almost any 

 time. 



Propagation. It should be propagated by division of the 

 rhizomes as growth commences in Spring. 



APONOGETON (Includes Ouvirandra). A. distachyus is not 

 a greenhouse plant, but, where opportunities offer, it certainly 

 should be grown as such. Out of doors it is nicely grown at the 

 edges of Lily ponds, where it blooms all Summer. It is known as 

 the Cape Pond Weed. The flowers, arranged much in the same 

 way as those of the Ouvirandra, have large, showy white bracts; 

 very sweet smelling. In its native haunts the seeds germinate on 

 the surface of the water, forming very small tubers which, when the 

 leaves decay, sink to the bottom of the pond and become established 

 there. A. {Ouvirandra) feneslralis is the Lattice Leaf Plant of 

 Madagascar. The leaves are skeletonized so that the veins are the 

 only parts of the leaves. This unique subject thrives best when the 

 leaves are near the surface of the water. The pots should be sub- 

 merged from 4 to 6 inches. The temperature of the water should 

 never be below 65 degrees, but it should be kept at least 10 degrees 

 higher most of the time. A wide tub and one about 14 inches 

 deep, will suffice for the plant's needs. The tub should be placed 

 in the warmest part of the house, and shaded from the sun at all 

 seasons. It is not particular as to soil, growing in any ordinary pot- 

 ting mixture. Loam, sand and a little half-rotted manure, topped 

 oS with fine sand, produce good results. When in an evidently 

 dormant state the plant will, no matter at what season, begin to send 

 Tip new leaves when given a shift, or the ball reduced and fresh soil 



