268 



FLORAL BEAUTIES OF OUR BOGS AND PONDS. 



the plant knew it had no further use for these boat-like 

 structures. A variety of this species with beautiful blue 

 flowers, striped with violet-purple, has also been adver- 

 tised. 



Novel and charming as these plants are, their sister, 

 our native pickerel-weed, Pontcderia cordata, seems 

 still more beautiful. The large numbers of bright blue 

 flowers, standing above its lovely green heart-shaped 

 leaves, form one of the prettiest borders of our lakes and 

 and slow-running streams. It loses none of its beauty 

 by standing in the water in company with the delicate 

 white spider-lily, Pancratitari yotaluin, in the rivers of 

 Florida. 



Those who know the delicately beautiful marsh tree- 

 foil or water shamrock ( I\Ienyanthes trifoliata ) may 

 be reminded of its beauty as we speak of its curious 

 creeping rootstocks, conspicuously marked by the re- 

 mains of the sheaths of previous petioles, its pale green, 

 trifoliate leaves, and the spike of ten to fifteen feathery 

 white flowers, often exquisitely tinted with pink. Al- 

 though much smaller than a chrysanthemum, its lovely 

 plumes rival those of Mrs. Alpheus Hardy. But those 

 who have never seen this flowering plant can have no 

 conception of its beauty. 



In August we have fewer flowers in our fields and 

 forests, while the floral treasures of our bogs and ponds 

 are then most abundant. What wonders there are in 

 one lovely lake where we have often botanized with a 

 boat ! On the margins the sweet-scented stork's-bill, 

 or clethra, is white with its long spikes, and the sweet 

 flowers of the tall white azalea cast their reflections in 

 the crystal water near the shady shore. Back of the 

 yellow-jugs, or gold-watches, and nearer the bank, is a 

 living lining of blue pontederia. 



The white, delicate flowers of the arrow-heads, Sag- 

 ittaria z'ariabilis, are mingled with leaves which vary 

 wonderfully in shape from a thread-like V to a broad 

 heart with pointed lobes. In places we find the pota- 

 mogeton with inconspicuous flower-spikes, its small, 

 shining narrow leaves floating on the surface, and stranger 

 yet, its dull-colored large long wavy leaves entirely cov- 

 ered by the water, often unseen by the ordinary ob- 

 server. In one of the coves thousands of white pond- 

 lilies, tinged with pink, float among the wine-colored 

 leaves. Some of the flowers are so small that we call 

 them baby lilies. Near by are the round white balls of 

 the fragrant button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentals). 

 The bogs are decorated with tall flower-spikes of the 

 showy calopogon, and the less showy little pogonia. Both 

 are often found growing from a lovely carpet of green 

 and red in most delicate patterns set with brilliant jewels 

 such as can only be formed by the little sun-dew, whose 

 white flowers are not necessary to make it attractive. 

 Two species of it are here, one with long (Droscra 

 intermedia), the other with round ones (Droscra 

 rotundifolia). 



The bladderworts take possession of some portions of 

 the lake and fill the water with their wonderfully fine 

 and delicately branching submerged leaves, dotted with 



the little valved bladders that catch food for the plant. 

 The common species (Utrictitaria vulgaris) sends up 

 a spike of small but beautiful yellow flowers. Another 

 species gives purple flowers ( U. purpurea). Another ( U. 

 in flat ct) makes a special raft in flowering time, composed 

 of five long radiating bladders on the surface of the 

 water, like a floating star, upon which to support its spike 

 of yellow flowers. Another species ( U. intermedia) with 

 broader yellow flowers igrows nearer the shore, and its 

 fringe-like leaves creep on the surface of the mud, while 

 the bladders are borne only on the mud-covered rootlets. 



In the water where there are fewer plants we find the 

 floating-heart, with its little white water-lilies ; and in 

 the clear water at the very bottom, near the shore, the 

 pipewort (Eriocaulon septangularc) forms pretty 

 rosettes of pointed light green leaves from which arise 

 slender stems as straight as an arrow, each capped with 

 a little velvety silver button. Here, too, is perhaps our 

 rarest native aquatic, the water-lobelia (Z. Dortmanna). 

 It is a very smooth, clean plant, extremely tender to 

 handle, its leaves all tufted at the base, where the water 

 is from six inches to two feet deep. Even the flower- 

 buds are often under water, but the upright stems rise 

 higher as the buds develop, and its few bluish white 

 flowers look downward toward the water as if loath to 

 leave it. 



We have seen all these flowers about the middle of 

 August in this lovely lake, besides others not mentioned ; 

 and in a wet meadow not far away the flowers of the 

 Utricitlaria cornuta, supported on slender, leafless 

 stems, stand so thickly as to form broad sheets of solid 

 yellow as viewed from a distance. 



The cardinal-flower, sister of the water-lobelia, is much 

 better known. Blazing acres of it may be seen in the 

 offshoots of the lower Connecticut, and broad meadows 

 are painted with a sinuous line of cardinal-red that marks 

 the course of the winding brook, hidden by intermingled 

 grass and flowers. Although this is a semi-aquatic plant 

 it is easily grown, and will thrive in the dry ground of our 

 common gardens. 



We can only mention the large velvety leaves and long 

 yellow spikes of the golden club {Orontium aquaticum) 

 of shallow river coves. The blue veronica of our brooks, 

 the yellow Bidens Beckii, and the white and yellow water 

 crow-foot (Ratiuticulus aquatilis and R. multifidus), 

 the two latter having finely cut submerged leaves and 

 floating flowers, and many more, we must leave unmen- 

 tioned while we stop to notice a loathsome pool, covered 

 with a coat of green. How many have turned from it 

 in disgust by reason of the floating green ; but what a 

 mistake ! That despised green is in fact millions of 

 beautiful little floating plants which are doing their best 

 to purify the water. It is the duckweed, of which we 

 have two species. The most common [Lemnaminor) has 

 a wide range, but it is said never to have flowered in the 

 United States, although it flowers freely in England. 



NescEa vcrticillatus is a beautiful water-shrub, whose 

 axils are surrounded with lateral clusters of rose-purple 

 flowers. It is quite common in its ordinary single form, 



