THE PILLWORT. 



HE only American representative 

 of the genus Pilularia is that 

 rare little plant called Pilularia 

 Americana. In structure it 

 resembles a very small species of 

 Marsilia without leaf -blades. It 

 grows among grasses and sedges 

 in wet places, but is seldom found 

 in standing water, though it may be in- 

 undated at certain seasons of the year. 

 The rootstock is fine and thread-like 

 and creeps close to the soil, sending 

 down a tuft of roots from each joint of 

 the stem, while above rise the slender 

 leaves. In our plant these are seldom 

 more than two inches long, are 

 very slender, and taper to a point 

 like those of the quillworts. Like 

 the leaves of the ferns they are 

 coiled in the bud. The 

 sporocarps are borne on 

 short stalks in the axils 

 of the leaves and are a 



