MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 133 
time. The leaves in the seedling stage are prominently 
blotched with dark pink on the upper surface. The under 
side is also of a dark pink or almost red color. The adult 
leaves during the summer are entirely green on the a 
surface, but the same reddish color is retained on the under 
side and even intensified. 
The hybrid is named after the hardy or native water-lily, 
which it resembles in several respects, such as the concave 
or ee flower, and the fact that when first opening 
the four whorls of petals are separated and after the third 
day the flower rests on the surface of the water. In the bud 
it 1s also suggestive of the castalia. It has proved itself a 
good subject for breeding, especially for the purpose of in- 
creasing the number of petals, the amount of perfume, and 
the length of the blooming period. 
Nymphaea “Mrs. Edwards Whitaker,’ Pring. —This hy- 
brid, between N. castaliaflora and N. a aa, is so far 
superior to the other day bloomers in size, shape, length of 
blooming period, and growth that it could be easily mistaken — 
for Nymphaea Lotus. The flowers, during the month of 
August, measure ten inches in diameter, the measurement 
being taken just below the sepals. The maximum number 
of open flowers found on a single plant is six. 
The parents used were the recently introduced N. ovali- 
folia and the fixed hybrid, N. castaliaflora. The flowers of 
the former are white, occasionally tipped with blue, stellate 
in shape, the few petals narrow, and the flowers supported 
by a more or less weak peduncle. The leaves are oval, as 
the specific name indicates, some varieties being faintly 
blotched with dark red on the upper side, while others are 
spotted with purple. WN. castaliaflora was used as the stam- 
inate, or pollen-bearing parent, because of its large, concave, 
sae chat flowers, which possess strong supporting pe- 
uncles. 
This combination has produced in the offspring large, 
well-petaled, light blue flowers. The growth of the hybrid, 
in general, is much stronger than that of either parent. The 
length of the blooming period is extended through the in- 
fluence of the staminate parent, the flowers i early 
as 6:30 A. M. and closing as late as 7:30 P. M. The indi- 
vidual flowers last from tose to six days, bleaching to al- 
most pure white the third day, the contrast which then ap- 
pears between the old white flowers and the fresh blue ones 
on the same plant being an interesting phenomenon. The 
shape of the leaves is intermediate, being almost round, and 
measuring eighteen inches across. 
