THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



83 



nearly globular shape, forming efficient fl(.^ats. When the plant 

 is rooted in soil the leaves do not produce these enlarged peti- 

 oles. The water hyacinth belongs to the pickerel weed, family 

 (Ponfedcriaccac) , a rather erratic group of about twenty-five 

 species inhabiting the warmer parts of the world. The only 

 members of the famih' to push into the Northern States are the 

 pickerel weed [Poiitcdcria) and the mud plantain (Hefcr- 

 anthcra). Others of this latter genus occur in our Southern 

 waters. 



The frontispiece illustrates a colony of the water hyacinth 

 growing with the yellow lotus { Xduiiibiiun) in an aquatic 

 garden. W^e are indebted to Prof. Chas. O. Chambers for the 

 photograph, which was made by C. H. Thompson. 



PANCRATIUM luarifiiuuin is a native of the swamp lands 



of Louisiana, Florida, ]\Iississippi and Alabama. It has 

 many local names, among them Grayson's lily, cup-lily, swamp- 

 lily, and most common of all, spider lily. Gray says the name is 

 from a Greek word meaning all-powerful, for which he sees no 

 obvious reason. Probably he never saw the Paiicratiuins at 

 home on the banks of the bayous, lakes- and rivers of the South. 

 All-powerful is what they suggest. The long strap-shaped 

 leaves, tropical in their luxuriance, are broad as a saddle-girth 

 and of a shining, lively, light green. They are very striking 

 where they grow in rank abundance, and, when planted in 

 gardens, form no mean adornment. 



The flower stalks are hollow, though tall and strong. From 

 every bulb, from six to ten stalks shoot up. The flowers are 

 borne in large clusters and are very dift'erent in construction 

 from the true lilies. The long narrow divisions of the perianth. 



THE SPIDER LILY 



By Mrs. G. T. Drennan. 



