12 



tu 



Amazons. The leaves are described as covered with prickles 

 on the under side, the flowers snow white, purple in the mid- 

 dle, and from ten to eleven English inches in diameter. It 



flowers in December and January, and bears in Ega the 

 name of Mururu. 



It is impossible not to recognize a plant extremely like 

 Victoria in this sketch; and I cannot doubt that the Mu- 

 ruru is either the very same, or a nearly allied species. 

 That Professor Poppig was wrong in referring this plant to 

 Euryale must have been evident to any one acquainted with 

 Roxburgh's detailed description of that genus, and has been 

 endered still more certain in consequence of the Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society having received from Mr. Schomburgk 

 some flowers sent over in salt and water. I am indebted to 

 the liberality of the Society for these specimens which, 

 although in a very decayed state, in consequence of the 

 manner in which they were packed, are botanically examin- 

 able ; and they show that Victoria is not only quite distinct 



1 



from Euryale, but highly 



They more 



confirm Mr. Schomburgk's account of the size of the 

 flowers, for one of the expanded calyxes measured fourteen 

 inches in diameter, and an additional inch for the overlap- 



ping of the petals is little enough to allow 



With regard to the genus. — Euryale is an East Ind 



water plant, with very large floating leaves, sometimes as 



much as four feet in diameter, bright purple underneath, 



and there reticulated with numerous very large prominent 



veins. ^ It is moreover covered with sharp prickles on the 



underside of the leaves, the leaf-stalks, flower-stalks, and 



calyx. In these particulars it agrees with Victoria — and in 

 little else. 



Victoria has the inner petals rigid, and curved inwards 

 over the stamens, into which they gradually pass; in 

 Euiyale there is no transition of this kind. 



Victoria there is a double row of hornlike stout 

 stamens curving over the stigmas, and adhering firmly to 

 their back ; Euryale has no such structure. 



Victoria has 36 cells to the ovary, and about 28 ovules 

 in each of its cells; Euryale has only from six to eight cells, 

 with 6-10 ovules in each. 



And finally, to say nothing of minor distinctions, which 

 will be sufl[iciently collected from the following description, 



