14 



^NELUMBIUM Caspiciim. 

 Caspian Nelumhium. 



POLYADELPHIA POLYGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Nelumbiace^. 



NELUMBIUM, Juss. Calyx tetrapentaphyllus, foliolis imo toro in- 

 sertis, liberis, deciduis. Torus carnosus, obconicus, ovaria includens. Co- 

 rollce petala plurima, imo toro multiseriatim inserta, oblonga, patentia. 

 Statnina plurima, imo toro pluriseriatim inserta, libera ; filimenta filiformia, 

 supra antheras in appendiculam producta ; antberse introrsse, biloculares, 

 loculis linearibus, adnatis, longitudinaliter deliiscentibus. Ovaria plurima, 

 libera, uuilocularia, tori alveolis immersa. Ovula solitaria v. gemina, ex 

 apice funiculi a basi loculi ad apicem adscendentis pendula. Styli breves, 

 simplices ; stigmate peltato. Nuces plurimse, monospermse, e tori aucti 

 alveolis emergentes, liberee. Semen inversum, exalbuminosum. Emhryo 

 crassus, intra pericarpium germinans. — Herbse in aquis Asiae calidioris et 

 Americse borcalis vegetantes, Nymphcearum facie ; rliizomate crasso, repente ; 

 petiolis pedunculisf/we einersis teretibus, tubercidato-asperis, foliorum lamina 

 centra peltata, orhiculata, pentiinervia, integerrima, glabra ; floribus amplis, 

 albiSf roseis v. flavis, seminibus edulibus. — Endl. gen. no. 5026. 



N. caspicum ; petalis obovatis obtusis magnitudine parum diversis, carpellis 9. 

 Nelumbium caspicum, Fisch in DeCand. Syst. 2. 45. 

 Nelumbium spcciosum y, DeCand. I. c. 



The accompanying drawing was made in the nursery of 

 Messrs. RoUissons of Tooting, in August, 1843. We are 

 happy to have an opportunity of publishing it, not only for its 

 own sake, but because it affords an opportunity of pointing 

 out the true distinction between the Caspian and Indian 

 Nelumbia. 



According to M. DeCandolle all the Nelumbia found in 

 various parts of Asia are varieties of one species, and this 

 opinion is generally adopted. It is however difficult to believe 

 that the deep red Nelumbium of India, with very sharp- 

 pointed petals, such as is figured in the Botanical Magazine, 

 t. 3916, and elsewhere, can be the same with the blunt- 

 petalled white-flowered plant '* found at the mouth of the 

 Volga near Astrachan, in a part of the river called Tschulpan, 

 amongst reeds intermixed with Nymphseas and Trapa," which, 



* Dr. Carey considers this name to be derived from two Sanscrit words ; 

 viz. iVeerblue, and TJmboja generated in water. Although we have not yet 

 found a blue Nelumbium in these parts of Asia, yet it is said to be a native 

 of both Cashmere and Persia. Roxburgh, 



