Yesterday, after completing our work and site assignments for the day and not having a meeting or Rendezvous show that evening, Ann and I went to see if we could find some lily pad seed pods some where close to the river bank. They make interesting decorations. The people in this area including those of Nauvoo used to gather them and use the seeds for board games like Fox and Geese.
It was fairly cold yesterday afternoon. The temperature was in the upper thirties and there was a chilly breeze blowing. Once we found a place where there were seed pods that were not too far out in the river, Ann thought it was a good idea for me to wade out in the water which was only eight to ten inches deep at that location and gather some seed pods while she waited in the car out of the cold. Fortunately the water wasn't too cold. Ann did get out of the car long enough to get a few pictures of me collecting seed pods.
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| Lily Pad Seed Pods |
The lily pads only grow in 18 inches or less of water. The blossoms only last a short time and then are gone. The seed pods that remain eventually dry up and tilt down releasing the seeds into the water to germinate.
Another use of the seed pods during the early Nauvoo period was that of a baby rattle. When shaking the pods the seeds rattle inside the pods. However, the pods have to be harvested before they mature too much or the seeds will drop out of the pods when shaken.
