182 



FLORA OF JAMAICA 



NympJicea 



Family XXIII. NYMPH^ACE^. 



Aquatic herbs with rhizome bearing peltate leaves and one- 

 jflowered scapes. Flowers large and showy. Sepals usually 4. 

 Petals and stamens numerous, inserted on the receptacle, with 

 which the carpels are often united. Anthers dehiscing inwards ; 

 connective continuous with the filament and sometimes produced. 

 Carpels numerous, free or united. Ovules pendulous. Seeds 

 often with an aril, with or without perisperm and endosperm ; 

 cotyledons thick ; radicle very short. 



Species about 53, found all over the world. 



Leaves and flowers floating. Leaves cleft nearly to the 



centre 1. Nympheea. 



Leaves and flowers raised above the water. Leaves not 



cleft 2. Nelumbo. 



NYMPHiEA L. 



Leaves and flowers floating. Leaves cleft nearly to the 

 centre. Petals (passing gradually into stamens) and stamens in 



Fig. 73 



i-h 



A, Leaf X 



B, Unopened flower X h 



C, Flower X i. 



Nymphcea amazonum Mart. & Zucc. 



D, Anthers showing variation from the 

 innermost to the outermost x g. 



E, Ovary with scars of petals, and bearing 

 the styles x |. 



F, Ovary cut across X H. (After Conard.) 



