154 



THE WATERLILIES. 



green toward apex, paler and yellowish in lower third, and on margins ; that part of 

 margin which is covered in the bud is white with a bluish tinge ; inner surface greenish- 

 white, tinged with blue above, pale green in lower quarter ; obscurely many nerved ( 18 

 to 19) at base. Persistent in fruit. Petals 21 to 38 (15 to 27, Casp. 1877) of rather 

 thin texture, shorter than the sepals, all plane (i. e., not concave). Outermost petal 

 elliptic-lanceolate, tapering at base, obtuse at apex ; outer surface rich sky-blue above, 

 lower third greenish in midline, with nearly white margins ; 5-veined ; inner surface 

 rich sky-blue above, shading to nearly white in lower third, and then to yellowish at the 

 base. Inner petals successively shorter and narrower, colored like the outermost except- 



s Ci^ *-* 



Fio. 60. Nymphaea capensis; a, sepal; b, outermost petal, hooded at apex; c. median petal; 

 d, innermost petal ; e, f, outer and inner stamens ; g, vertical section of ovary. Natural size. 



ing the green color on the back. Inner 3 series of petals acute ; innermost sometimes 

 narrowly long-acuminate, simulating a stamen. Stamens 120 to 225 (82 to 243, Casp. 

 1877), the outermost about half as long as the petals. Anthers all longer than the fila- 

 ments ; appendages obtusely triangular, long on outer stamens, becoming obsolete only 

 on the innermost. Outer filaments broadly elliptic, much wider (3 times) than anther; 

 inner-median filaments about as wide as the anthers ; innermost filaments narrower 

 than the anthers. Appendages always blue, like the petals ; filaments yellow through- 

 out; backs of the outer anthers (connectives) shading from blue above through 

 deep blue-purple to yellow at base. Inner stamens yellow throughout. Just out- 

 side of the ring of carpellary styles there often appear short filiform yellow pro- 

 cesses, which evidently represent stamens reduced by crowding and lack of nour- 

 ishment. Ovary about 2 cm. in diameter. Carpels 24 to 31 (12 to 47, Casp. 1877) ; 

 styles stout, oblong to linear-lanceolate (breadth : length = i : 2 to 5.5), fleshy, pure 



