HISTORICAL. 25 



the genus is " easily recognized " by the broad sub-rotund floating leaves. 

 " Nenufar " is given as a generic synonym. Four species are named : 



1. " Nymphaea alba, major C. B. Pin.," our N. alba. 



2. " Nymphaca Americana, foliis circinatis, maximis, acute crenatis, 

 subtus purpurcis, flore a/bo Plum." 



3. " Nymphaca Americana, foliis circinatis, minoribus, obtitse crenatis, 

 subtus viridibits, flore albo Plum." 



4. " Nymphaea lutea, major" our Nnphar luteum. 



In vol. 2, p. 137-8, the flowers, petals, ovary, fruit and seed of Nym- 

 phaca alba and Nuphar are figured, with also a cross-section of the fruit of 

 each. We are not prepared to settle the identity of Plumier's American 

 species ; it seems likely that No. 2 may be referred to N. ampla DC., and 

 No. 3 to N. rudgcana Mey. ; Caspary so placed them (1878). We cannot 

 explain the absence of N. lotus from the list, unless it was meant to be 

 included under the species N. alba major, as classed by C. Bauhin, who is 

 quoted as authority for this name. 



Finally Ludwig's (i 737) arrangement of the genera may be mentioned. 

 He separated Nymphaea from Nelumbo, as did Tournefort, and described 

 the former genus as having five sepals and many small petals ; this is 

 doubtless our genus Nuphar. He made an additional genus " Leuconym- 

 phaea " which has many petaloid stamens, and covers our present genus 

 Nymphaea, as was recognized by Kuntze (1891) and MacMillan (1892). 



The early plant anatomists seem to have neglected Nymphaea 

 entirely. Grew and Malpighi make no mention of the genus. Vaillant 

 in his essay on the structure of flowers (1717), refers to the "Grand 

 Nenufar-blanc " as illustrating the condition where the stamens arise 

 from the sides (reins') of the ovary. Older writers, as we have noted, 

 referred occasionally to the "spongy" rhizomes and the "porous" petioles 

 and peduncles. The Linnsean and post-Linnaean literature will be cited 

 throughout the course of the present paper. 



