waterleaf

waterleaf common name for the Hydrophyllaceae, a family of herbs and some shrubs, widely distributed but especially abundant in W and SW North America. Best known in the United States are the waterleafs (genus Hydrophyllum ), forest herbs eaten as greens by some Native American groups; the yerba santa ( Eriodictyion californicum ), a common chaparral shrub; and species of Nemophila, including the cultivated baby blue-eyes ( N. menziesii ) of California. Waterleaf is classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Solanales.

water-leaf.
1. Transitional early Gothic C12 carved ornament on each angle of a capital, essentially a large, broad, plain leaf resembling a water-lily or lily-pad, flowing out from above the astragal in a concave curve, then returning upwards in a convex curve, turning inwards at each angle under the abacus.

2. Classical ornament, often on a cyma reversa moulding, resembling a series of pointed tongue-like forms pointing downwards, with darts between them, also called hart's tongue, Lesbian, or lily-leaf, each tongue-form divided vertically by an incision. It is probably related to the lotus-leaf, or to ivy-leaves.

3. Long, feather-like unserrated leaf used by Palladio in his enrichment of the Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite Orders, also called stiff-leaf, and used as a series of vertical ornaments on friezes, etc.

Bibliography

W. Papworth (1892);
Sturgis et al. (1901–2)

Nemophila : see waterleaf .