MILLER AND STANDLEY—NORTH AMERICAN NYMPHAEA. 101 
and the plants lack the peculiar yellowish cast exhibited by the San Marcos specimens. 
The fruit, too, is much smaller, and the number of stigmatic rays decidedly less. 
15. Nymphaea orbiculata Small. 
Nymphaea orbiculata Small, Bull. Torrey Club 23: 128. 1896. 
Type Locauity: ‘In a small lake near Thomasville, Thomas County, southern 
Georgia.”” Type collected by 
J. K. Small. 
DisTRIBUTION: Known only 
from Thomas County, Georgia. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Leaves floating, orbicular 
in outline but broadest near 
the base, thick and leathery, 
glabrous above but silky- 
pubescent beneath, 30 to 50 
cm. in diameter, emarginate, 
the closed sinus 6.5 to 14 cm. 
deep, the broadly rounded 
lobes overlapping; veins par- 
allel almost to the margin; 
petioles and peduncles cyl- 
indrical, stout, pubescent 
throughout; flowers depressed - 
globose, about 55 mm. in 
diameterand 30mm. high, the 
perianth when spread meas- 
uring about 100 mm.; sepals 
normally 6, the 3 outer elliptical-oblong, about 45 mm. long and 30 mm. wide, gla- 
brous throughout, the three inner suborbicular, about 40 mm. in diameter, their bases 
abruptly narrowed toa claw 10 mm. wide, truncate or retuse at the apex; petals 22 
to 24, varying from linear to oblong or oblong-obovate, 9.5 mm. long and 2.5 to 6 mm. 
wide, retuse, truncate, or rounded at the apex, with a gland- 
ular spot 2 mm. in diameter usually present on the outer side 
near the tip; stamens usually in 8 rows, about 30 to the row; 
anthers slightly but distinctly longer than the filaments; color 
of flowers not accurately known, but specimens after a few 
weeks’ immersion in formalin showing a pattern in no way 
peculiar and proving the entire absence of red; fruit sub- 
globose, about 45 mm. in diameter, distinctly marked with 
fine ribs above, smooth about the base; stigmatic crater 
oo about 28 mm. wide and 5 mm. deep, its outer wall usually 
Fi. 35.—Stigmatic pattern Vertical; center of disk smooth; stigma rays distinct, varying 
of Nymphaea orbiculata. , 
Natural size. in number from 12 to 22, but usually 15, 16, or 17, when 
fully developed 4 to 6 mm. in length and about 0.5 mm. 
wide, extending to within 1.5 mm. of the edge of the disk; surface of rays with 
barely indicated median line; seeds ovoid, about 4.5 mm. long and 3 mm. in 
diameter, with a distinct raphe. (PuarTe 42, E, facing p. 96; 45, A. Ficures 4, }, 
34, 35.) 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 45.—A. Flower and fruit of Nymphaea orbiculata. B. Flower and fruit of 
Nymphaea bombycina. Both natural size. 
Fia. 34.—Leaf outline of Nymphaea orbiculata. Scale 4. 
