Arrowhead

This is the arrowhead plant, as it is commonly called, due to its arrow-shaped leaves.  It likes to grow in wet, marshy ground, and in shallow water.

This plant is a member of the sagittaria genus, named after the constellation sagittarius - the archer.

Arrowhead is also called duck potato, and wapato.  Wapato is a Cree or Ojibwe word.

It has edible tubers.  In fact,  we learn from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, edited by Bernard DeVoto, that the corps of discovery was introduced to wapato as an important food source in late 1805 by the native people living on the Deschutes River.

Another name for this plant is said to be katniss, although I could find no trustworthy source to back up this claim.  Katniss is the heroine of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Katniss' father tells her that as long as she can find "herself" - meaning the katniss or arrowhead plant, she will never go hungry.

As fall swiftly descends, our local varieties are beginning to fade and wither, but they are still beautiful!