BLUE AND PURPLE WILD FLOWERS 
with five-parted petal-like yellow anthers having a 
cream-coloured centre, and three others are larger 
and recurved, without the elaborate tips. The 
smooth, juicy, and much-branched stem is rather weak. 
It is very slightly zigzagged, and the juice is thick like 
mucilage. It often takes root at the joints. The long, 
lance-shaped leaves are contracted at the base into 
sheathing stems. They alternate on the stalk. The 
floral one is heart-shaped, clasping and folded to- 
gether or hooded to guard the short flower stems. 
The low-growing Day-flower is common throughout its 
range, in moist, shaded soils, particularly about old 
farm buildings, neglected gardens, or roadside fences. 
It is found from New York to Illinois and Michigan, 
south to Florida, Nebraska and Texas, from June 
to September. It extends also throughout Central 
America to Paraguay. 
PICKEREL-WEED 
Pontedérsa cordata. Pickerel-weed Family. 
The ragged, bright blue floral spikes of the Pickerel- 
weed blossom from June to October, in shallow water 
along the borders of ponds and streams where, so the 
disciples of Izaak Walton declare, the Pickerel lays its 
eggs. The rather stout stalk is smooth, round and 
green, and grows from one to four feet in height. The 
large, solitary, smooth, arrow or heart-shaped, dark 
green leaf is thick, tough and leathery. The margin 
is entire; the veins are numerous and paralleled, and 
the thick, round stem sheathes the stalk, which rises 
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