KEY TO THE SPECIES 



1. ALISMA (Water Plantain) 



Marsh herbs, the naked stems freely branched above ; leaves long-petioled, 

 nerved, ovate or oblong, with rounded base ; the small flowers in loose clusters. 



1. Allsma Flantago-aquatica L. (Water Plantain). Stem 3-7 dm. high, 

 branching above to form the long, open panicle of flowers ; leaves 5-9-nerved, with 

 flue cross-veins ; flowers perfect ; fruit obliquely obovate, keeled on the back. 

 Spring bogs, etc. 



3. SAGITTARIA (Arrow-head) 



Flowers monoecious, borne in whorls of 3s, the staminate uppermost, the pis- 

 tillate numerous. 



1. Saglttaria arifolla Nutt. (Arkow-head). Growing in shallow ponds or 

 in stream margins ; leaves sagittate, with broad blade, the apex acute, the basal 

 lobes lanceolate, becoming acuminate; petioles and scape weak; bracts as long as 

 the pedicels ; petals white, conspicuous ; akene obovate, winged, the very short 

 beak erect. 



V. COMMELINACEiE (Spiderwokt Family) 



Perennial herbs, with jointed, leafy steins ; leaves linear, 

 channeled and sheathing at base ; perianth free, of 3 green 

 sepals and 3 blue ephemeral petals ; stamens 6 ; a single style ; 

 and a 2- or 3-celled ovary becoming a pod. 



1. TRADESCANTIA (Spiderwort) 



Low herbs, with nearly simple stems ; leaves narrow ; flowers in terminal 

 umbels ; stamens densely blue-bearded. 



1. Tradescantia scopulorum Rose (CLtIFP Spiderwort). Stems slender, 

 2-3 dm. high, sparingly branched, light green -and nearly smooth ; leaves numer- 

 ous,, linear, mostly radical, the iavolucral ones short, unequal, and filiform ; 

 umbels several ; flowers pale blue. 



VI. MELANTHACEiE (Bunch-elowee Family) 



Leafy-stemmed herbs with bulbs (in ours) ; leaves broadly 

 linear, alternate ; perianth as in the Liliacece ; stamens 6, free ; 

 fruit a 8-celled capsule. 



1. ZYGADENUS (Camass) 



Erect perennials from onion-like bulbs; flowers in racemes, the greenish -white 

 or yellowish segments with a gland near the basis ; capsule 3-lobed, splitting to the 

 base at maturity. 



