Tas. 4604. 
NYMPHAA ELEGANS. 
Elegant Water-Lily. 
Nat. Ord. NympH#ACcE#.—PoOLYANDRIA MoNnoa@yNIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, TaB. 4257.) 
Nympua elegans; foliis suborbicularibus repando-subdentatis basi profunde 
usque ad petioli insertionem bifidis nigro-maculatis lobis rectis sinu 
angusto subtus purpureis, sepalis 4 fusco-lineatis, petalis albis purpureo- 
ceruleo tinctis, staminibus in phalangibus sub-15 collectis, filamentis ex- 
terioribus subpetaloideis, antheris exterioribus appendiculatis, stigmate sub- 
15-radiato. 
I can nowhere find a Mymphea described, corresponding 
with this, which has been discovered in New Mexico by Dr. 
Wright, from whose seeds our plant was reared in the Royal 
Gardens of Kew. Its nearest affinity, perhaps, is V. amp/a, Bot. 
Mag. t.4469. Our plants flowered in the early summer in 
the tank of the tropical aquarium. The blossoms are not only 
elegant in form and colour, but fragrant also. It will be 
difficult to say to which of the divisions of De Candolle this will 
belong. It is very different from any of the section “ Cyanee,” 
though its purplish-blue tint would indicate an affinity with that 
groupe. One of the most remarkable circumstances in the flower 
of this plant consists in the arrangement of the stamens in (ap- 
parently) as many phalanges as there are lobes to the stigma. I 
had not the opportunity of observing if, at a late period of in- 
florescence, they separated. 
Descr. Root unknown to me. eaves floating, about six 
inches long, and four and a half or five broad, thus nearly or- 
bicular, plane, the margin sinuated and subdentate; the upper 
surface dark green, the under purple, especially towards the 
margin ; both sides spotted and streaked with black, the under 
side most spotted ; the base of the leaf is cut nearly to the petiole 
into two straight or slightly diverging rather acute lobes, the 
sinus long and narrow. eftiole terete, smooth. Scape terete, 
SEPTEMBER Ist, 1851. 
