diameter, and they ivmained open for several hours after 

 noon, when all the section are closed. The plant 



flowers very freely and continuously from May till 

 Xovember. I have tried several times to hybridize species 

 of the stellata section of Nymphcea with the Lotus section, 

 but have always failed." 



A comparison of the plate of X. i at tab. 4665 



of this work, with that of X Lotus, t. 797 (a small flowered 

 state), corroborates the evidence which Mr. Watson gives 

 of the hybrid origin of the X. Is. With regard to 



the supposed hybridity of X <■ m which is said to 



be a cross between N. rubra, Roxb., and N. Lotus, there is 

 much to be cleared up. In the " Flora Indies" (i. p. 241) 

 Dr. Thomson, whose knowledge of the Indian forms of 

 Nympfcm in India itself cannot be disputed, after a very 

 prolonged study of these with me, arrived at the conclusion 

 that X Lotus, L., and X rubra, Roxb., were varieties of 

 one, distinguishable only by colour ; and that X dc.vonlensis 

 was a large deeper red form of the latter, and is common 

 m tanks and still waters near Calcutta. Further, when it 

 is remembered that X Lotus is white-flowered and X rubra 

 a pale red, it is incomprehensible that the result of crossing 

 these should be the intensifying the red of the petals of 

 rubra in a most extraordinary degree, the introducing into 

 its scapes and petioles a dark maroon brown colour, and 

 the replacing the pale and dark green stripes of its sepals 

 by red and brown ones. I would refer those desirous of 

 pursuing this subject to the discussion on X Lotus in the 

 •' Flora Indica " already referred to, where the contradictory 

 published accounts of the supposed Indian and African 

 species allied to rubra, Lotus, pubescens, &c, the vagueness 

 ot the characters ascribed to them, and the varieties that 

 occur m India from any one form assumed to be typical, 

 are all detailed. — /. D. H. 



,,lJ)"'h l ™ ertlon °, f P etioIe on base of leaf; 2 and 3, stamens ; 4, top of ovarj :— 

 all hut Jig. 1 somewhat enlarged. 



