42 NELUMBIITM. No. 66. 



ihe torus, and shorter, filaments linear, anthers adnate 



below the end, so as to leave a linear appendage at the 



end ; central torus spongy, becoming the fruit, and 



then large, three to four inches diameter, obconical sul- 



cated, summit truncate, flat, with a waved margin, and 



haying many perforated cells, containing nuts of an 



elliptic shape, with the persistent short style and obtuse 



stigma, as big as filberts, of a black colour, but white 

 inside, 



HISTORY. This beautiful genus is known from the 

 most remote antiquity, as a holy emblem of the fecun- 

 dity of nature^ has only lately been properly designated. 

 Linnseus hardly knew it, since he united it to Nymphea. 

 Jussieu distinguished and named it properly, from one 

 of its Hindu names. Several English and American 

 botanists have since attempted to change the name into 



Cyamnsj (meaning a bean) already the name of a crus- 



u^ 



taceous animal. If good local names are to be changed, 

 we ought to change also Cojia^ Fucca, &c. There are 

 several species in Asia, blended under the name of N. 

 indimm, with rose, blue, and white blossoms. Ours is 

 not a variety of it, but a peculiar species. We have 

 three or four species in North America ; the others are 



2. K codophyllum. Raf. in Flor. Louis. Petioles 

 rough, furrowed inside, thicker above ; leaves pelta'te 

 campanulate, tomentose beneath, calyx four leaved. 

 First described by Robin, who gave a long account of it 

 under the name of Napoleon plant } admitted by De- 

 candoUe. Flowers yellow. 



3. K pmtapetalum. Walter. Leaves peltate, orbi- 

 cular, entire, calix five leaved, five to eight petals; 

 Considered a doubtful species by many,but 1 have found 

 It again in west Kentucky ; it has yellow leaves also, 

 calix equal, from five to eight petals nearly so, concave, 

 smaller than in iV. luteum. 



4. N. reniforme. Walter. Leaves reniform, corolla 

 polypetalous. '-•'•" 



a Nuph 



ar. 



Walter 



flnSpL^i }*^i^^ offers several varieties :" 1. Pallidum, 



iiu^erv, oT a straw colour. 2. Jllbiffnnmn fln«,^« ^Klf- 



^ ; ^ ^^'■^'^ colour. 2. Albifforum. 



