LIMNANTHEMUM LACUNOSUM. 
(FLOATING heart.) 
The subject of our illustration derives its name from 
vine, mud, and anthos, a flower, in allusion to its 
natural habitat. It is classed in Pentandria-Monogynia 
of the Linntean system, and to the natural order Oentian- 
accce. In our rambles among “wild flowers” we do 
about sundown, the same blossom opening for several 
days; and are produced in single clusters of about ten or 
twelve, and continue to open in succession, during the 
entire summer. The great abundance in which these 
flowers are produced greatly excited our curiosity ; they 
not remember of meeting one more 
delicately beautiful in its purity and 
simplicity, nor one that awakened 
within us a more lively interest than 
this, though there are many more 
showy, in fact, few are less so. We 
found it growing in the greatest lux¬ 
uriance in one of the ponds that sup¬ 
ply the City of Brooklyn with water, 
and at first thought it a tiny Water- 
Lily, with beautifully blotched foli¬ 
age ; for its leaves resemble those of 
the Water-Lily, excepting in size and 
markings; those of this plant being 
about one inch in diameter, and 
blotched with brown, giving them an 
appearance similar to those of the 
Cyclamen. The flowers are about 
three-eighths of an inch in diameter, 
produced on short stems that proceed 
from the leaf-stalk, about an inch be¬ 
low the leaf, and in themselves are 
very interesting, as they rise about 
half an inch above the water, not 
floating on it, as does the Water-Lily. They are com¬ 
posed of five small sepals, and alternating with them, 
five petals very prettily fringed and slightly incurved at 
the edges. The flowers open and close with great regu¬ 
larity, usually two at a time. The time of opening is at 
eight o’clock in the morning, and of closing, at or 
Lihnanthehom Lacdkosdsi. 
(Natural size.) 
seemed to literally cover the water, 
and adapt themselves to almost any 
position, as we found them growing 
equally well where the water was but 
a few inches deep and where it was 
nearly three feet in depth. The leaf¬ 
stalk seems to detach itself very easily 
from its crown of fibrous roots, as we 
saw quantities of them floating on 
the surface, and flowering as freely 
as those that were attached to the 
plant. We have had the plants on 
our table in a shallow dish, the water 
not more than half an inch in depth, 
and they not only flower as freely as 
in their natural habitat, but continue 
to furnish new leaves that grow very 
rapidly. We do not remember of see¬ 
ing such tenacity in plant life. 
As a plant for an aquarium, this 
would be most admirably adapted. 
The beauty of the leaves is of itself 
sufficient to make it of great interest, 
while its pure, delicate, yet noble 
little white flowers standing proudly above the water, 
makes it doubly interesting. 
In the English ponds there is a variety or species Lim- 
nanthenium nymphceoides with golden flowers. We 
hope to gather seeds of this plant in the autumn, in order 
to disseminate it. 
