140 



POLVANDRIA. 



it grows up with an herbaccvous stem, as a marsh 

 plant. When the overflowing waters of the Nile re- 

 tire, it comes up with a stem like the Egyptian bean,^ 

 the petals crowded tliick and close, only shorter 

 and narrower, having a capsula with a serrated stigma, 

 in every respect like a Poppy, containing grains like 

 millet. The natives put these Capsulae in heaps 

 to putrify; soon after, they separate, wash, dry, 

 and pound them, and of the seeds they make bread. 

 There is a further circumstance related concerning 

 this plant of a very remarkable nature 3 that the Poppy- 

 like flowers close up with the setting sun and the 

 petals entirely cover the capsula, but at sun-rise 

 they open again, and so on till they become ripe, 

 and the blossom, which is white, falls oftV ^ 



Pliny again, in another part of his work,'' says, 

 " Those who think that there is only a Tree-lotus, 

 may be refuted on Homer's authority alone, for 

 among other herbs produced for the pleasure of the 

 Gods the Lotus is the first named. — There is a kind 

 of Lotus named Lotometra, which is produced from 

 the cultivated Lotus, from whose seed, wdiich is 

 like millet, the Egyptian shepherds make bread, 

 commonly mixed up with water or milk. It is as- 

 serted that no bread can be more wholesome or light 

 while it is warm, but when cold it is more difficult 



a The plant here referred to is the Cyamus Nelumbo See 

 page 149. 



^ Pliny Lib. xiii. c. 1 7. D« arbore loto. 

 c Lib. xxii. c. 21. 



