THE AMPHIBIOUS PERSICARIA— continued. 
vegetative characters and in flowers. It is a perennial and has a slender, creeping, 
woody, branched rhizome, with numerous whorls of white or red rootlets. When 
floating, the stems may be two or three feet long, and are supported by floating, 
ovate-lanceolate, acute leaves with petioles from one to three inches long; and the 
whole plant is glabrous. When the plant grows on land, as when the mud is 
thrown out of a pond or ditch on to its banks, the stems are not developed to the 
same length but are about a foot high and erect ; the leaves are narrower and have 
stalks not more than an inch in length ; the whole plant becomes hairy; and flowers 
are only sparingly produced. These floating and terrestrial forms, however, are not 
constant, one readily becoming transformed into the other if transplanted. 
The rose-coloured flowers are borne above the surface of the water in 
handsome ovate or oblong spikes of densely-packed blossoms on stout stalks. The 
stamens in this species are only five in number, alternating with the perianth-segments, 
or they may be altogether absent, such flowers being entirely female. There are two 
styles, united for half their length and terminated by globular rose-red stigmas ; and 
the relative length of the filaments and styles varies on different individuals, some 
having long exserted stamens and short styles and others short stamens and long 
styles. In all probability this dimorphism, or heterogony , like the precisely similar 
arrangement in the Primrose, is accompanied by a prepotency of the pollen of the long 
stamens on the stigmas of the long styles, and so also of the short forms, thus 
favouring reciprocal cross-pollination. Nectar is secreted by five orange-yellow 
glands upon the floral receptacle around the base of the ovary, alternating with the 
stamens, so that this species in its conspicuous floral colouring, in the individual 
variation of mechanical contrivance or proportions, and in this inducement held out 
to its insect-visitors, proclaims itself a highly specialised type of entomophilous 
flower. 
The mealy seeds are said to be favourite food for water-fowl ; but they are 
seldom ripened. This striking plant has not attracted the attention that is manifested 
by many popular names. Some, such as Flatter Dock , Red Shank , and Lakeweed , it 
shares with other species. Among those more particularly belonging to it are 
Ground Willow , Willow-grass , and Willow-weed. 
