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Sagittaria latifolia Alismataceae (Water-Plantain) Family  Arrowhead is also known as Duck Potato and Wapato. The plant is an upright, smooth (or hairy) marsh or aquatic perennial with stolons that produce tubers from which new growth emerges. Its preferred habitat is swamps, ditches, marshes, ponds and lakes. Distribution is throughout the Escambia region. The leaves are mostly at the base of the plant; shaped oval or occasionally linear with a leaf stalk. The leaf base is arrow-shaped with its lobes pointing downward. The flowers are a whorled raceme arising from the stem node. Female flowers are on the lower part of the stem and male flowers are at the tip. Each flower has 3 sepals and 3 petals; white. Flowers occur in the summer and autumn. Fruit is a seed which outer layer is fused to it (achene). The tubers are edible after cooking. Several similar species with arrow-shaped leaves are distinguished one from the other by the number of stamens and petal size. Rhizomes produce the edible tubers beneath the muck. The tubers are eaten by ducks and muskrats, thus the name "duck potato." It is known that Native Americans raided muskrat houses to get to the store of fleshy food stuff. |