Water-Arum is interesting in that it is one of the very few plants fertilized by snails. The offensive odor (to humans) of the bloom attracts the snails, which make their way painstakingly up and down the stems to visit first one blossom, then another. The plant also propagates by root division.

-(Thalia). A perennial herb similar to the canna. Grows well under a few inches of water at the pool edge or in a large flower pot resting on the pool floor. Propagates by root division. Leaves are shaped like broad spear points, attractive in form and arrangement. Flowers are deep purple, and borne on graceful spikes held aloft on long, arching stems. These are the two most popular forms:

dealbata-Grows 3 to 4 feet with leaves 6 to 9 inches long, covered with a fine dusting of white powder which gives a unique blue-green cast. If left on the pool floor, well below the freezing line, the plant will survive the winter along with the hardy water-lilies. Roots left in shallow water or in pond-edge mud will be frozen to death. Moved indoors for the Winter, this form makes a nice house plant. A single planting will produce a dense clump of bold, attractive foliage.

divaricata- The larger form, sometimes 5 to 10 feet tall. Leaves are dark and shiny, not with the mealy look of the T. dealbata.

-(Marsilea). A favorite for decorating odd corners of the pond and covering sloping mud banks with an attractive blanket of foliage like field clover, except that stalks and leaves are covered with silky down.

Drummondli1- The floating variety, which does best in fairly deep water where clumps sometimes grow 1½ to 2 feet thick.

quadrifolia-Much smaller and does well on a bank or in water. The four-leaved foliage forms a covering only 3 to 6 inches thick. Like M. Drummondii, it reproduces by wind-borne spores and by root division.

-( Radicula Nasturtium-aquaticum). Also Water Nasturtium. The familiar hardy perennial which is gathered at the edges of cold, spring-feed streams and eaten as a crisp, piquant salad. The small, round, dark-green leaves, tiny white flowers, and succulent stems are also relished by fish. The dark, waxy look of the 2-and 3-foot branching stems contrasts prettily with the feathery foliage of other floating and submerged greenery. The plant has certain oxygenating characteristics which also make it beneficial. Does best when rooted under 2 to 3 inches of water. Is propagated by seeds and cuttings.

-( Alisma Plantago-aquatica). Also called Mad Dog Weed. A free-flowering plant growing 2 to 3 feet high with broad, heart-shaped leaves, somewhat like those of common plantain, and pyramidal clusters of small, delicate-white or pale-pink blooms. Grows in deep water, but blooms most freely when roots are embedded in mud under only an inch or so of water. Propagates by seed and root division.

-( Zizania palustris), Also called Indian Rice, Water Rice, Water Oats. An annual aquatic grass with broad, flat leaves, reedy stems, and large, branching terminal flowers. planted in 5 to 6 inches of water, it soon provides a handsome backdrop of foliage 8 to 10 feet high. An excellent pond border for bind-lovers, for the seeds attract ducks and other game birds. Must be grown from seed which is well soaked before planting.