NYSSANTHES 457 



inside the lat. 1. According to Caspary (Eichler, Blnthetidiag. n. 184) 

 the ant. 1. repres. the bract (' adnate ' to the peduncle ; ff. Solanaceae), 

 the two lat. 1. the bracteoles, the post, a true sepal. Most authors 

 regard the 4 1. as a K. C well developed ; 4 outer petals alt. with 

 the sepals, and 4 inner alt. with the outer. These 8 form the starting 

 points of as many spirals of petals, usu. 4 in each, alt. approximately 

 with the outer 8 and with one another. As we pass inwards the 

 petals become narrower and show transition forms to the sta., which 

 to the number of 50 or 100 continue the fl. inwards. Whilst the K is 

 hypog. the petals and sta. are inserted up the sides of the G, which 

 has 1020 loculi, each containing oo ov. scattered over the whole 

 carpellary surface (cf. Butomus). The sessile stigmas form a number 

 of rays upon the upper surface of the G, as in a poppy. The fr. 

 is a large berry containing oo seeds, each covered by a spongy aril. 

 Between aril and seed are air-bubbles. The fr. ripens under water 

 and when it dehisces the mass of seeds floats up; then the individual 

 seeds part company, each drifting about until the air escapes (by decay 

 of the aril or otherwise), when it sinks to the bottom of the pond. 

 There is a large perisperm round the endosp. proper. [Conard, The 

 Waterlilies, Washington, 1905.] 



Nymphaeaceae (EP., BH.}. Dicots. (Archichl. Ranales). 8 gen., 60 

 sp., cosmop. Water or marsh pi. usu. with rhiz., and with submerged, 

 floating, and aerial 1. and sol. usu. large fls. of great variety of pattern. 

 Cabomba is most simple and agrees in type with the other Ranales ; 

 whilst in Nuphar, Nymphaea, Victoria, Nelumbium, &c., great modifi- 

 cation appears, esp. in the G. In Nelumbium the ovary is still apocp., 

 though the cpls. are connected by the curious torus, whilst in the 

 other gen. it is syncp. ; in Nuphar it is sup., in Nyrnphaea semi-inf. , 

 in Victoria inf. The P too shows much variety, from the simple 

 Cabomba-type to Nuphar, &c. Ovules usu. anatr. The seed has 

 both endosperm and perisperm (exc. Nelumbium), and is often aril- 

 late. For full details of the floral structure see chief gen., and Eichler's 

 Bliithendiagramme. 



Classification and genera (after Caspary); 



I. NELOMBONOIDEAE (seed exalbuminous ; cpls. free in 

 obconical receptacle) : Nelumbium (only genus). 



II. CABOMBOIDEAE (endosperm and perisperm; cpls. 



free): Cabomba, Brasenia. 



III. NYMPH AEOIDEAE (do., but cpls. united); Victoria, 



Euryale, Nymphaea, Nuphar, Barclaya. 



Nyropnylla Neck. Lauraceae. Nomen. 



Nyssa Gronov. ex L. Nyssaceae. 6 N. Am., Himal., Malaya. N.syl- 

 vatica Marsh and others in N. Am. (tupelo, pepperidge, gum-tree) 

 yield timber and ed. fr. 



Nyssaceae (EP.; Cornaceaep.p. BH.}. Dicots. (Archichl. Myrtiflorae). 

 3 gen., 10 sp., E. A?., E. N. Am. Shrubs with alt. exstip. 1. and small 

 5 or unisexual fls. in heads, racemes, umbels, or sol., with flat or 

 hollow recept. K 5 or more, C 5 or o, A twice as many or less, G 

 usu. i-loc., sometimes 6 lo-loc. with one ov. in each. Usu. drupe. 

 Endosp. 



Nyssanthes R. Br. Amarantaceae (2). 2 Austr. 



