according to Messrs. Fischer and Steven, is the locality of 

 this plant. M. DeCandolle indeed suspected that it must be 

 different, but he did not remark in the dried specimens ex- 

 amined by him any character beyond the bluntness of the 

 petals and their general uniformity in size, and upon that 

 distinction he was unwilling to rely. The true difference 

 seems to consist in the very small number of carpels, which 

 do not appear to exceed nine, while in the great Indian species 

 they are as numerous as thirty or thirty-three. 



Speaking of N. speciosum and its supposed varieties, Dr. 

 Roxburgh, writes as follows : — 



" I have met with only two sorts on the coast of Coro- 

 mandel, one with rose-coloured flowers, the other with flowers 

 perfectly white, and since that time a third variety has been 

 brought from China with smaller rosy flowers. They grow 

 in such sweet water lakes, &c. as do not dry up during the 

 driest season, and, on the coast, flower all the year round. 

 In Bengal they flower during the hot season, April, May, and 

 June, and ripen their seed about the close of the rains. 

 In China there is a still more beautiful bright crimson variety, 

 which they call Hung-lin ; I have hitherto only seen a draw- 

 ing of it. The white Nelumbium differs in few respects from 

 the red one, and may be considered as only a variety of it. 



" The tender shoots of the roots between the joints of both 

 sorts are eaten by the natives, either simply boiled or in their 

 curries. The seeds are eaten raw, roasted, or boiled. The 

 leaves are used to eat off instead of plates. These holy and 

 beautiful plants are often met with in the religious ceremonies 

 of the" Hindoos under their Sanscrit name Padma." 



It is a stove aquatic, requiring to be kept dry during 

 winter. Before putting it into the water, which ought to be 

 done about the beginning of February, it should be repotted 

 in sandy loam mixed with pieces of sandstone, to act on the 

 same principle as drainage, for the water in which it is grown 

 requires to be renewed once or twice a week, and should 

 never be allowed (especially in summer) to be below 80". 

 About the end of October, when the leaves begin to decay, 

 the pot should be lifted out of the Avater and dried off gra- 

 dually. As the soil becomes dry it will crack or leave the 

 sides of the pot, which should be filled up with sand, in order 

 to cover many roots that would otherwise be exposed. 



