576 poLYANDRiA MONOGYNiA. NyiYiphaea. 



The seeds are farinaceous, much liked by the natives, 

 and sold in the public bazars to the eastward of the 

 mouths of the Ganges, where the plant is indigenous. 

 The method of preparation, to fit them for the table is as 

 follows ; a quantity of sand is put into an earthen vessel, 

 placed over a gentle fire, in the sand they put a quantity 

 of the seed, agitate the vessel, or the sand with an iron 

 ladle, the seed swells to more than double its original 

 size, until it becomes light, white and spongy; during 

 the operation the hard husk of the seed breaks in vari- 

 ous parts, and then readily separates by rubbing be- 

 tween two boards, or striking it gently with a bye board. 

 The Hindoo physicians consider these seeds to be pos- 

 sessed of powerful medical virtues, such as restraining: 

 seminal gleets, invigorating the system, &c. &c. 



NYMPHAEA. Sckreb. gen. n. 886. 

 Calyx and coroZ many-petalled. Germ inferior, many- 

 celled, cells many seeded ; attachment septal. Berry many- 

 celled. SeetZs numerous. Embryo furnished with a pe- 

 risperm; direction various. 



1. N. rubra. R. 



Leaves sub-orbicular, margins sharply sinuate-toothed, 

 downy underneath. Flowers red. Stamina from forty 

 to fifty. Berries spherical, from ten to twenty-celled. 



Teling. Yerra-kalwa. 



Sans. lluWiika, and Rukta Swudhyuka. See Asiat. Res. 

 vol. 4. p. 285. 



Hind. Rwkta chwndMna, or Swudhj/ka. 



Beng. Rukta kumhula. 



A native of India. It flowers during the rainy season. 

 In Bengal there is a small rose-coloured variety with from 

 twenty to twenty-five stamina, and from twelve to fifteen 

 rays in the stigma, consequently the same number of cells 



