Pepperwort. 
Submerged plants ; leaves bearing a whorl of four 
obovate-cuneate, 1.5 cm. 1. leaflets; sporocarps ovoid. 
Introduced into the fish-ponds at Washington, D. C, where 
it grows in great profusion. 
Pre-Linnean authors seem to agree that this is the plant, 
mentioned by Theophrastus under the name Lemma. 
Dalechamp [Hist. PI. i : 1014, 1587.] described and 
figured it under that name. 
The following description is taken from P a r k i n s o n 
[Theatrum Botanicum 2: 1262. f. 1640.] to illustrate 
the language and method of those days. 
2. Lens palustris slve aquatica quadrifolia. Crosse- 
leafed Water Lentils or Duckes meate. 
This other Lens hath a small long slender roote shoot- 
ing forth square slender weake and trailing stalkes, with 
sundry small loaves upon severall long foote stalkes, 
standing together at the joynts distinct one from an other, 
which are parted into foure leaves a peece, and some- 
times it has beene observed with six leaves, each end be- 
ing round and lying in a square forme like a crosse upon 
the , water : at the joynts likewise with the leaves, come 
forth diverse small heads of seede in clusters, wherein 
are enclosed small blackish seede like unto the fielde 
Lentils, but not so fiat, being thicke and^hard. Lugdun- 
ensis setteth forth this kind of water plant, by the, name 
of Lemma Theoplwasti ^ in a much differing manner." 
Issued September 8. 1906. 
56 
