122 
Cult. This plant will do well in a cistern about a foot deep, 
with 2 inches of loam in the bottom for the plant to root in, 
then filled up with water, and placed in the warm part of a 
stove. 
Il. HYDROPEL'TIS (from téwp vdpoc, hydor hydros, water, 
medrn, pelte, a buckler ; because the plant grows in water and 
has leaves in the form of a buckler) Mich. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 
324. t. 29. Sims, bot. mag. t. 1147. Rich. ann. mus. 17. p. 
230. t. 5. f£. 22. Brasénia, Pursh. fl. amer. sept. 2. p. 389. 
Nutt. gen. amer. no, 392. 
Lin. Syst. Polyandria Polygynia. Calyx of 3-4-sepals, colour- 
ed on the inside (f. 34. a.) Petals 3-4. Stamens 18-36. Ovaries 
6-18, ending in filiform styles. Carpels capsular, l-seeded. Seed 
ovate-globose, pendulous within the pericarp.—An aquatic 
herb with the aspect of Hydrocharis, covered with a clammy ge- 
latinous substance. Roots fibrous, fixed in the mud. 
1 H. purro'rea (Mich. fl. bor. 
amer. 1. p. 324. t. 29.) Y.H.W. 
Native in tranquil lakes and pools 
of water in Lower Carolina, also in 
Tennessee, New Jersey, and Upper 
Canada. Brasènia peltàta, Pursh. 
fl. amer. sept. 2. p. 389. Herb 
floating. Leaves alternate, on long 
petioles, oval, peltate in the centre, 
very smooth, and quite entire, float- 
ing on the surface of the water. Pe- 
duncles axillary, 1-flowered. Flow- 
ers dull purple, closing and lying 
down on the surface of the water 
at night, and expanding again in 
the morning. There is another 
species found in New Holland. 
(ft. 34.). 
Purple Hydropeltis. Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt. 1798. Pl. fit. 
Cult. This pretty little plant must be grown in a pond or a 
cistern of water, and it may be increased by offsets. The plant 
being extremely difficult to preserve is seldom to be seen in the 
gardens of Britain. 
FIG. 34, 
Orver X. NYMPHIA‘CEE (plants agreeing with Nym- 
phæ'a in many important characters.) D.C, prop. med. ed. 2. p. 
119. syst. 2. p. 39. prod. 1. p. 113. 
Calyx of 4-5-sepals (f. 36. a. b.), inserted in the recep- 
tacle (f. 36. b.), but not articulated with it. Petals and stamens 
disposed in one or numerous series, the latter inserted a little 
higher up than the former, alternate with the sepals. Filaments 
flattish, sometimes drawn out beyond the cells of the anthers ; 
anthers adnate linear, opening inwardly by two chinks (f. 36. e.). 
Ovaries or carpels numerous, 8-24, sometimes half immersed in 
the large honeycombed torus (f. 35. @.), each bearing a style (f. 
35. e.) sometimes inclosed within a large and pitcher-shaped 
torus (f. 36. c.), membranous 1-2 or many-seeded. The styles 
in those with the free carpels are distinct and crowned by simple. 
stigmas (f. 35. e.), in those with the inclosed carpels they are pel- 
tately-rayed above the urceolus (f. 36. d.) as in Papaver, 
they are connate at the base, but free at the apex (f. 36. d.). 
Seeds in the free carpels 2 or solitary (f. 35. 6.), in the inclosed 
carpels innumerable, these last are fixed laterally to the parietes 
of the carpels, inverted, ovate-globose, dotted, girded by a some- 
HYDROPELTIDE. H. Hyprorettis. NYMPHIACEZ. 
what gelatinous follicle-formed aril, and with the cells filled with 
gelatinous pulp when mature. Albumen sometimes wanting in 
the seeds of the free carpels, but farinaceous in the seeds of the 
inclosed carpels. Embryo small, turbinately globose, situated on 
the outside of the albumen at the base of the seed, therefore in- 
verted in the fruit; it appears undivided at first sight, because itis 
inclosed in a membranous covering (this is not the case in any 
other order) when this covering is torn asunder it exhibits 
two thick leafy cotyledons. The covering falls off of itself before 
germination. All aquatic floating plants yielding somewhat milky 
juice, and to gardeners possessed of great interest on account of 
the elegant form and various hues of their flowers. The trunk 
of the root lies in a horizontal position in the mud, emitting nu- 
merous fibres, these are eatable when dried and pounded, and 
are made into cakes by the inhabitants of various countries. The 
leaves are peltate or cordate, usually floating on the surface of 
the water, involute before expansion. + Peduncles rising from the 
trunk of the root, axillary, or supra-axillary, constantly naked 
and 1-flowered. Flowers imbricate in the bud, large, white, 
yellow, blue and red, usually sweet-scented, resembling those of 
Magnòlia, double Peonys or Poppies, lying on the surface of 
the water or raised a little above it, when they begin to decay the 
peduncle becomes inflexed and sinks in the water, where the 
capsules soon decay and relieve the carpels, which soon after 
vegetate. The seeds of the Lotos are pounded by the Egyptians 
and mixed among flour. The Camus or Pythagorean-bean k 
antiquity is the produce of the Nolúmbium, a stately aquatic, 
which abounds in all the hotter countries of the East, where 1s 
roots are frequently used as an article of food. This very 
natural order, from the structure of its flower, is intermediate be- 
tween Ranunculdcee, and Papaveracee, therefore joins the first 
and second cohort of Thalamiflore. The tribe Nelumboned 
agrees in a certain degree with Pednia Moutdén in the torm 
being elevated into urceolus around the ovaries. The tribe 
Nymphæ ea agrees with Papàver in the structure of its fruit. 
The order differs from Ranunculàceæ in the anthers being ad- 
nate inwardly, as well as in the seeds being always inverted. It 
is distinguished from Papaveràceæ in the fruit opening irregu” 
larly, as well as in the anthers being adnate, and the sepals per 
manent not deciduous. [It also differs from H ydropeltidee in the 
torus being elevated and surrounding the ovaries. The seeds 
retain their vegetative power a considerable time, those of the 
Nelimbium will vegetate. after having been kept 30 years. This 
order was formerly the cause of much difference among bot 
as to its station in the natural classification, its structure being° 
so doubtful a character as to leave room for disputing whether 
belonged to Dicotyledinee or Monocotyledinee, but this has bee# 
clearly settled by M. De Candolle. See the structure of the 
embryo. 
Synopsis of the Genera. 
Tris [, 
NetumBo Nez. (D.C. syst. 2. p. 43. prod. 1. p- 113.). Cat 
pels many, distinct, 1-2-seeded, each bearing a style (f. 35. f 
