An aquatic herb, the immersed leaves finely dissected, with large white racemose flowers. Style slender. Silicles ovoid, 1-celled. Seeds small, few, in 2 rows in each cell. Cotyledons accumbent. [In honor of Lewis Caleb Beck, 1798-1853, American chemist and botanist.]

A monotypic genus of eastern North America.

1. Neobeckia Aquática (Eaton) Britton. Lake Water-Cress. River-Cress

Fig. 2036

Cochlearia aquatica Eaton, Man. Ed. 5, 181. 1829. Nasturtium natans var americanum A. Gray, Ann. Lyc. N.

Y. 3: 223. 1836. Nasturtium lacustre A, Gray, Gen. 1ll. 1: 132. 1848. Roripa americana Britton, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 169. 1894. Neobeckia aquatica Greene, Pittonia 3: 95. 1896. Radicula aquatica Robinson, Rhodora 10: 32. 1908.

Branching, 1°-2° long. Immersed leaves 2'-6' long, pinnately dissected into numerous filiform divisions; emersed leaves lanceolate to oblong, obtuse or acute, 1' - 3' long, entire, serrate or lobed, readily detached from the stem; pedicels 3"-4" long, slender, rpreading or ascending; petals longer than the sepals; style about 1" long; pods 2" long.

In lakes and slow streams, Quebec and Ontario to northern New York, Minnesota, south to Florida and Louisiana. Local. Summer.