WATER PLANTAIN FAMILY 
(Alismacece ) 
Genus Arrow-head (Sagittaria). Arrow-heads or 
Sagittarias are among our most beautiful water plants. 
The leaves vary greatly in shape but are always grace¬ 
ful in appearance. All species have three pure white 
petals with a golden center formed by the large anthers. 
They usually grow in the water but sometimes on the 
muddy shores, and flower in June. 
(A) Broad-leaved Arrow-head (Sagittaria latifolia) 
has broad arrow-shaped leaves on long petioles from the 
root. The 3-petalled white flowers grow in whorls of 
three, the upper ones being staminate and the lower 
pistillate. Seed, winged on both edges and with a 
twisted horizontal beak. This species is smooth, but a 
variety (pubescens) has the stem quite wooly. Com¬ 
mon in the whole of our range. 
(B) Narrow-leaved Arrow-head (8. Engelman- 
niana) has very narrow leaves with linear sagittate 
bases. The seeds are winged but the beak points up¬ 
wards instead of being bent at an angle as in the last. 
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