WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY. Alismaceae. 
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WATER-PLANTAIN FAMILY. Alismaceae. 
A rather small family, widely distributed, growing in 
fresh-water swamps and streams. The leaves are all 
from the root, with long sheathing leaf-stalks, and the 
flowers are regular and perfect, or with only pistils or only 
stamens; the sepals three; the petals three; the stamens six 
or more; the ovaries numerous, superior, developing into 
dry, one-seeded nutlets. 
There are a good many kinds of Sagittaria, with fibrous 
roots and milky juice; the leaves are usually arrow-shaped; 
the lower flowers usually pistillate and the upper ones 
usually staminate; the stamens are numerous and the 
numerous ovaries are closely crowded and form roundish 
heads. The name is from the Latin for “‘arrow,” referring 
to the shape of the leaves. 
An attractive and very decorative 
Arrowhead : 
ae plant, with stout, smooth, hollow flower- 
latifolia stems, from eight inches to four feet tall, 
White with very handsome, smooth, olive-green 
Summer 
leaves and papery bracts. The flowers 
are about an inch across, with delicately 
’ crumpled, white petals and yellow anthers, forming a 
bright golden center, and the plants look very pretty 
standing along the edges of ponds. The leaves are ex- 
ceedingly variable both in size and shape. This is found 
throughout North America. The tubers are edible and 
hence the plant is often cailed Tule Potato, and they are 
much eaten by the Chinese in California. The Indian 
name is Wapato. 
North America 
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