Missouri: Botanical 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. IV. St. Louis, Mo., August, 1916 No. 8 
NEW HYBRID WATER-LILIES 
Climatic conditions in St. Louis during the summer are 
admirably adapted to the growth of tropical lilies. Within 
the last four years the aquatic collection at the Garden has 
been greatly augmented, and the area of water devoted to 
this fascinating branch of floriculture considerably extended. 
Water-liles may be divided into two groups: (1) diurnal 
flowering, representatives of the two sub-groups, Anecphya 
. and Brachyceras, and (2) nocturnal flowering, more com- 
monly called the “night bloomers,” which are representa- 
tives of the Lotos group. During a bright August day flowers 
of the diurnal lilies will be open between 7:00 A. M. and 7:00 
P. M., but if the weather is dull and rainy they remain 
closed, In the night bloomers the flowers open at sunset and 
stay open until about 10:00 o’clock the following morn- 
wit However, if the weather is inclined to be cloudy, they 
will remain open during the entire day, acting the reverse 
of the diurnal type. 
The blossoms of the nocturnal lilies are considered by 
many far superior to those of the diurnal, or “day bloomers,” 
and thus many visitors coming to the Garden during the — 
water-lily season, are disappointed. With this in mind, a 
number of Se are being carried on in an effort to 
improve and the few types of day bloomers, the present- 
day plants having resulted largely from insect pollination, 
especially the Brachyceras representatives. 
_ The Nymphaea capensis and its varieties, commonly found 
in gardens, are far from the typical species. They are the 
crosses resulting from insect pollination, between the blue — 
and rose, and possibly the Egyptian N. caerulea, until we 
find gradations of color from the darkest blue to deep pink. 
These, being self-pollinated, result in a breaking up into 
blues, pinks, and dark pinks. : 
One method of selecting the color of lilies to be planted 
out is to examine the under side of the young leaves, 
color which ey kegs usually ving some masucesion. of | a 
| y here . 
the ultimate color of the flowers. somewhat haphaza 
(131) 
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