Title
Native Pools of Florida
Published Date
published 1940
[page 5]
or fronds, light-green in color, with rootlets attached to each frond.
Water lettuce, one of the most attractive of all floating plants,
resembles large heads of lettuce floating closely together. It thrives in
shady places and should be kept in water where its roots can reach the soil.
Frogbit, one of the larger of the floating varieties, has heart shaped leaves
and small, white flowers. There is also a floating moss called azolla, which
spreads rapidly, and takes on a reddish tinge when exposed to sunlight.
Water chestnut, water snowflakes, and water crowfoot, are other
floating varieties. Showflake is a flowering plant with leaves similar to the
water lily. Crowfoot grows thickly upon the surface and is frequently
called water buttercup because of its similarity to the land flower of the
name. Sweet-flag has sword-shaped leaves about two feet high and grows
well in moist soil or shallow water. The leaves are yellow and the flowers
inconspicuous.
Among the most interesting of submerged plants is the sagittaria,
called arrowhead because of its lance-like leaves. The Latin name comes
from Sagittarius or archer, one of the signs of the Zodiac. There are several
native species, all with long, narrow leaves. The principal Florida variety
sends its stems up through the water, often six feet, to bear tiny white
flowers upon the surface.