26 FLOWERS OF FIELD, HILL, AND SWAMP 



35. Great Solomon's Seal 



Polygonatum giganteum. — Family, Lily - of - the - Valley. 

 Color, greenish yellow. Leaves, clasping or sessile, many- 

 nerved, broad. Time, June. 



A late species and tall. Its best growth is from 5 to 7 feet. 

 The stem is stout, bearing leaves and flowers above, naked below. 

 Rootstock creeping, broad. Flowers roundish, bell-shaped, pro- 

 ducing blue-black berries in September. Not so common as the 

 smaller Solomon's Seal. 



36. Sweet Flag 



Acorus Calamus. — Family, Arum. Color, yellowish green. 

 Leaves, ribbon-like, sharp on both edges. Time, June. 



Every boy knows that sweet-flag root is good to eat, especially 

 when boiled, cut in slices, and dried in sugar. It is the creeping 

 rootstock which is edible. 



The flowers are borne on a spadix which emerges from one 

 side of a leaf-like scape. They consist of stamens and pistils, with 

 6 sepals. The scape is much prolonged beyond the flowers, and 

 answers to the spathe in our jack-in-the-pulpit. 



37. Water-plantain 



Alisma Plantago. — Family, Arum, Color, white, sometimes 

 light pink. Leaves, all from the root, resembling common plan- 

 tain, broad, with petioles, smooth, man)'-nerved, often heart- 

 shaped at base. Time, July-September. 



A plant growing sometimes in water, more often in mud on 

 banks, and especially in the soft, boggy ground made by cows in 

 their passing to and from water. 6 inches to 2 feet high. 



The minute flowers grow in a pretty, spreading, compound 

 panicle. 



38. Arrow-head 



Sagittaria variabilis (Sagitta, an arrow, from shape of 

 leaves). — Family, Water-plantain. Color, white. Leaves, on 



