Descriptive Flora 



81 



near the ground, blades deeply cut into three to seven large, 

 entire, toothed or incised lobes. Upper leaves few, clasping the 

 stems where they branch. Sepals five, pale green or yellowish. 

 Petals seven to sixteen, deep, glossy gold as if enameled, and with 

 scale-like nectar glands at base of inner side. Roots slightly 

 thickened. Fruits compact, oblong clusters of small, flattened, 

 beaked aehenes. March and April. 



MENISPERMACEAE. Moonseed Family. 



Cabailva Carolina (L.) Britton. Coral-bead. Margil. 



(Cocculus carolinus [L.] DC.) 



Slender-stemmed trailing or climbing vine conspicuous in 

 the fall for its brilliant clusters of scarlet, edible stone fruits the 

 size of small peas. Leaves simple, alternate. Blades usually 

 three-lobed, triangular or broader, often rounded, downy be- 

 neath. Flowers minute, creamy white or greenish yellow, in 

 slender simple or branched racemes. June to fall. Widespread, 

 usually climbing over fences and in thickets near streams. 



NYMPHAEACEAE. Waterlily Family. 



Cast alia elegans (Hook.) Greene. Waterlily. Pondlily. 



This white or blue tinted " Queen of the waters'' floats 

 majestically on the surface of the water in a field of large, green 

 leaves called ''pads". Flowers fragrant, two to three inches 

 across and like the leaves borne on long, slender, round, rubbery 

 stems that rise to the surface from thick root-stocks. Sepals 

 green with purple lines. Petals numerous, white frequently 

 tinted with blue. Leaf -blades large, floating, six to eight inches 

 long, nearly as broad, much like a rounded horseshoe in shape, 

 smooth, shiny and green above, usually purple or reddish on the 

 underside. March to fall. Flowers open at sunrise and close 

 toward noon, except on cloudy days. In ponds, streams, and in 

 quiet, shallow parts of lakes. 



