4 6 4 PONTEDERIACEAE. Vol. I. 



2. Heteranthera peduncularis Benth. Blue Mud Plantain. Fig. 1163. 



Heteranthera peduncularis Benth. PI. Hartw. 25. 1840. 



Stem stout, creeping on the mud or floating, root- 

 ing at the nodes, much branched, often 1° long or 

 longer. Leaves long-petioled, the blades ovate to 

 subreniform, 24' long or less, acute, obtuse or cus- 

 pidate at the apex, cordate at the base; spathe sev- 

 eral-flowered, the inflorescence much exserted; 

 flowers blue; perianth-tube nearly 5" long, straight 

 or nearly so, the lobes much shorter than the tube; 

 filaments slender, one of them longer than the other 

 two; anthers basifixed, sagittate; fruit narrowly ob- 

 long, about 5" long. 



Ponds, Nebraska(?), Missouri and Kansas to Mexico. 

 July-Sept. 



3. Heteranthera limosa (Sw.) Willd. 

 Mud Plantain. Fig. 1164. 



Smaller 



Pontederia limosa Sw. Prodr. 57. 1788. 



Heteranthera limosa Willd. Neue Schrift. Ges. Nat. Fr. 



Berlin 3 : 439. 1801. 

 Leptanthus ovalis Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 25. 1803. 



Stems commonly much branched from the base, 

 6'-is' long. Leaves numerous, oval or ovate, ob- 

 tuse at the apex, rounded or slightly cordate at the 

 base, 1' long or less; petioles z'-s' long; spathes 

 i-flowered, often on peduncles 1' long or more; 

 flowers white or blue, usually larger than those of 

 the preceding species ; filaments broad, equal or 

 nearly so ; anthers linear, often sagittate. 



In mud or shallow water, Virginia to Kentucky, Mis- 

 souri, Nebraska, Florida, Louisiana and throughout trop- 

 ical America. July-Sept. 



4. Heteranthera dubia (Jacq.) MacM. Water Star-grass. Fig. 1165. 



Commelina dubia Jacq. Obs. Bot. 3: 9. pi. 50. 1768. 

 Leptanthus gramineus Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 1 : 25. 1803. 

 Heteranthera graminea Vahl. Enum. 2: 45. 1806. 

 Schollera graminea A. Gray, Man. 511. 1848. 

 Heteranthera dubia MacM. Met. Minn. 138. 1892. 



Aquatic, stem slender, forked, often rooting at the 

 nodes, 2°-3° long. Leaves linear, flat, elongated, acut- 

 ish, finely parallel-nerved, their sheaths thin, furnished 

 at the top with small acute stipule-like appendages; 

 flowers light yellow, the perianth-segments narrow; 

 stamens nearly equal; tube of the perianth very slender, 

 1*— 1*' long; spathe 1-2-flowered; filaments dilated below; 

 anthers linear, 2" long, sagittate; style shorter than the 

 stamens; stigma several-lobed ; capsule i-celled with 3 

 parietal placentae, many-seeded. 



In still water, Quebec to Oregon, south to Florida and 

 Mexico. Also in Cuba. Occasionally occurs in a small form 

 on muddy shores. July-Oct. 



