54 
BULLETIN 794, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
RAT LAKE, CHERRY COUNTY. 
September 3-4, 1915. 
Description. — Little or no marsh. Fresh water, mostly open; greatest average 
depth, 8 feet; bottom mostly sandy. Inlet from Beaver Lake, these two lakes 
being connected by a strip of water a few rods wide. ■ 
Distribution of Vegetation. 
shore plants. 
1. Wild millet (Echinochloa crus-galli).* 
Mature fruit ; common. 
2. Satin grass (Muhlenbergia foliosa).* 
Flowers. 
3. Wild rye (Elyrnus canadensis). Com- 
mon. 
4. Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans).* 
Flowers. 
5. Richweed (Pilea pumila). 
6. Water smartweed {Polygonum amphi- 
bium). Common. 
7. Bush clover (Lespedeza capitata).* 
Sparse. 
8. Prairie trefoil (HosacTcla ameri-eana).* 
Mature fruit ; abundant on higher 
sandy shore of lake margin. 
Other grasses, small sedges, etc., as listed for neighboring bodies of water. 
MAESH PLANTS. 
9. Evening primrose (Oenothera oakesi- 
ana-).* Sparse. 
10. Mint {Mentha canadensis). 
11. Blue verbena {Verbena hastata).* 
Flowers. 
12. Prairie sage {Artemisia gnaphalodes) * 
Flowers : rare. 
13. Goldenrod (Solidago altissima).* Flow- 
ers. 
14. Bushy goldenrod (Euthamia gramini- 
folia).* Flowers. 
15. White wreath-aster (Aster multiflorus) .* 
Flowers ; common. 
Little or no marsh. 
SEMISTTBMERGED PLANTS. 
Dominants: 
16. Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia). 
17. Spike rush (Eleocharis acuminata). 
Secondary species: 
18. Big bulrush (Scirpus occidentalis) . 
19. Water smartweed (Polygonum amphi- 
oium).* Mature fruit. 
SUBMERGED PLANTS. 
Dominant: 
20. Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum). 
Secondary species: 
21. Musk grass (Chara spp).* Common. 
22. Floating pondweed (Potamogeton na- 
tans). 
23. Curly pondweed (Potamogeton per- 
foliatas richardsonii) . Common. 
24. Small pondweed (Potamogeton pusil- 
7ms). Abundant. 
25. Sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectina- 
tu-s). Common. 
26. Illinois pondweed (Potamogeton illi- 
noensis). Common. 
27. Bushy pondweed {Xajas flexilis). Com- 
mon. 
28. Spike rush (Eleocharis acicularis). 
Abundant. 
29. Water smartweed (Polygonum amphi- 
oium). Rare. 
33. Star duckweed (Lemna trisulca) . 
Abundant. 
FLOATING PLANTS. 
31. Big duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza). 
32. Small duckweed (Lemna minor). 
33. Star duckweed 
Abundant. 
(Lemna trisulca). 
Wild-duel- food. — Plants in the above list which have considerable value as 
food for wild ducks are : Nos. 16, 18. 20, 21, 24. 25. 27. 31, 32, and 33 ; those of 
less importance are: Nos. 1, 0, 17. 19 (29). 22, 23, 26. 28. and 30; the remainder 
are of no known value. 
