variety lancifolia has been cultivated at Kew for many 
years, and flowers annually in the Waterlily House. 
Descr.—An aquatic herb, one to two feet high. 
Rhizome short, horizontal, or ascending, giving off many 
roots on its lower surface. Flowering stems erect, with 
the two uppermost internodes elongated. Leaves long- 
petioled ; petioles sheathing in their lower part; blade 
lanceolate, obtuse at the apex, rounded or obtuse at the 
base, six to twelve inches long, one inch to two inches and 
a half broad, glabrous. Panicle dense, spike-like,“two to 
four inches long. Perianth blue, glandular-pilose, about 
half an inch long; tube with four longitudinal clefts in 
front; lobes ovate-oblong, shorter than the tube, the 
median posticous one with a greenish-yellow blotch. 
Achene ovate, smooth, shortly apiculate.—T. A. Spraaur. 
Fig. 1, a flower, and two young buds; 2, pistil; 3, ditto, longitudinal 
section ; 4, ditto, transverse section :—all enlarged. 
