NYMPILEACE^. 11 



the female racemes exceeding the fascicle, roundish ; drupe subglobose, hairy, red. — Besc. 

 Fl. 3. t. 201. — C. Caapeba, L. C. microcarpa, DC. C. Kohautiana, Prl. C. cleinatidea, Prl. 



a. C. Pareira, L. Leaves peltate, downy on both sides. 



/3. C. microcarpa, DC. Leaves peltate, glabresceut above and downy beneath. 



y. C. Caapeba, L. Leaves petiolcd at the base, downy, chiefly beneath, or glabrous. — In- 

 termediate forms between all these forms are of common occurrence. — Hab. Jamaica! to 

 Trinidad ! : all collectors ; [all tropical countries of the world]. 



VIII. NYMPH^ACE^. 



Flower-organs distinct from each other, or partly connected by the developing torus. 

 Petals and stamens mostly indefinite. Embryo minute, included in the persistent embryo- 

 sac, lying at the top of the amylaceous perisperm : cotyledons fleshy, surrounding the deve- 

 loped plumule. — Water-plants ; leaves floating, not divided, with the long petiole arising 

 from a creeping root-stock : vernation involute ; flowers large, solitary : peduncles extra- 

 axillary. 



The amylum, contained in the seeds and in the root-stocks (e.g. of N. Rudgeana), exhibits 

 in some cases eatable substances. 



1. NYMPILEA, L. 



Sepals 4, inferior. Petals and stamens inserted upon the torus, which clothes and con- 

 nects the carpels. Ovules indefinite, scattered over the interior surface of the carpel. Seeds 

 arillate. — Leaves stipulate. 



Sect. 1. Cyan^ea. — Anthers produced at the top into a long appendage of the connective. 

 Expansion of flowers during the day. Stipules minute, distinct. 



1. N. ampla, DC. (exclus. syn. Mey.). Leaves cordate and a little peltate, sinuate-den- 

 tate : network of veins prominent beneath ; sepals without prominent nerves ; petals white 

 (or yellowish-white) ; exterior stamens much longer than the interior, and with a longer, 

 linear, blunt appendage ; appendages of the stigmas short, conical, pointed. — Bot. Mag. t. 

 4469. — Nymplnea, Sp. 1. Macf. N. Lotus, Lun. — Leaves glabrous, usually purple beneath, 

 and the sepals with purple lines. Anther-cells scarcely exceeded in breadth by the connec- 

 tive. — The species is exceedingly variable, and there occur many distinct forms, with the ap- 

 pearance of special species, but running into each other by intermediate specimens. The 

 variability is chiefly observable in the sinuosities and teeth of the leaf (which disappear 

 sometimes altogether), and in the size of the flowers. Of the three varieties, distinguished 

 by Planchon, and occurring all of them in the West Indies, a (Plumieri), with the teeth 

 pointed, and /3 (Hookeri) with blunt or wanting sinuosities, cannot be regarded as special 

 varieties ; but his y (Salzmanni) approaches Macfadyen's form from the Ferry-Lagoon, in 

 Jamaica, which, though presenting the large leaves of the other, may be distinguished by 

 the small size of its flowers. 



o. Sepals and petals oblong-lanceolate, bluntish, usually 3" long ; appendages of the ex- 

 terior anthers 4"'-6"' long, often broader than the anther itself. — The Jamaica specimens of 

 this form agree exactly with Sir W. Hooker's figure in the Bot. Mag. ; but intermediate 

 forms between a and £ are not wanting. 



/3. parviflora. Sepals and petals oblong, somewhat pointed, scarcely more than 1" long; 

 appendages of the exterior anthers 2'" long, as broad as the anther. — Hab. Jamaica!, all 

 collectors ; Caribbean Islands ; [Texas !, Cuba, and Mexico to Brazil]. 



Sect. 2. Hydrocaltjs. — Connective exceeding very shortly the anther-cells in the exterior 

 anthers. Expansion of flowers nocturnal. Stipules connected in a sheath. 



2. N. Rudgeana, Mey.! Leaves cordate and a little peltate, sinuate-dentate (or en- 

 tire) : nerves somewhat channelled beneath ; sepals without prominent nerves ; petals white 

 (or pale-yellow); connective bluntish at the top; appendages of the stigmas clavate, at 

 length circinate-inflexed. — Desc. Fl. 8. t. 574. — N. blanda, Planch.!, Macf! — Petals usually 

 1" long, interior pointed. Appendages of the exterior anthers scarcely £'" long. — A remark- 

 able variety (fi) has been considered generally as a distinct species ; its chief character, con- 

 sisting in the different shape of the anther-cells, is not confirmed by my Guadeloupe speci- 

 mens, which are intermediate between both forms. 



