Brasenia.'] yi. NYMPn.i;ACE^. 61 



Geu. III. t. 39 ; Hydropeltis purpurea, Mich. ; DO. Prod. i. 112 ; Bot. Mng. 



t, i 147. 



N. Australia ? R. Brown. 



Queensland. Lagoons near Moreton Bay, F. Mueller. 



llie species is abundant in the waters of North America and of East India. 



2. NYMPHS A, Linn.-^ 



Sepals 4, inserted near the base of the torus. Petals numerous, passing 

 gradually from the sepals to the stamens, inserted on the torus or ovary, the 

 outer petals near tlie base, the inner stamens almost at the top. Filaments 

 of the outer stamens dilated and petal-like, with small lateral anther-cells, of 

 th^ inner ones naiTow or filiform, with longer anthers opening inwards. Car- 

 pels several, immersed in a ring in the fleshy torus, haviiig the appearance of 

 a several-ceUed ovary, with a conical or globular process in the centre. Styles 

 thick, radiathig, free or united at the base, often with an incurved appendage 

 beyoud the stigmatic portion. Ovules mimerous, pendulous from the sides of 

 tue cavity. ^ Fruit a spongy berry, breaking u]) irregularly when ripe. Seeds 

 embedded in pulp, arillate, albuminous. — Khizorae perennial. Leaves float- 

 ing, peltate or very dcei)ly cordate. Flowers large, solitary, floating on the 

 smface of the w\ater or slightly raised above it, on long radical peduncles. 



The inost considerable genus of the Order, chiefly in the northern hemisphere or within 

 tJie tropics, but represented also in S, Africa. 



1 ."^"li^* gigantea, Ilooh, Bot. Mag. t. 4G47. Leaves orbiculai' or vciy 

 oroadly ovate, very deeply cordate, the basal lobes separated by a veiy acute 

 \ or overlapping each other, or united near the petiole, rendering the 

 ieat partially peltate, the principal nerves radiating from the petiole, rai<rd 

 underneath, and in the larger specimens the wliole under side covered with 

 raised reticulations; the margin entire or more frequently sinuate, or with 

 sliort distant teeth. Flowers blue, purple, pink, or rarely white, the petals 

 ^'ijd stamens usually very numerous. Filaments nearly all filiform, or many 

 ^f the outer ones flattened, but never very broad iind always narrowed 

 ^nder the anther ; connective narrow and scarcely projecting beyond the cells, 

 styles or stigmas thick, radiating, united at the base, either without any or 

 with only a very short terminal appendage.— F. Muell. Fragm. ii. 141 ; N. 

 *^^^/a^a, F. MueU. 1. c. 142. 



^- AustraUa. Lakes and marshes throughout tropical Australia, J?. Brown, F. 3IueUer. 

 Vueenslaad, AVide Eay, Bidivill; Moi-cton Bay, W, Hill. 



«. a. Wales. Clarence river, Beckler. . . ,. 



Asinr ^^T^® ^^ apparently confined to Australia, unless it be really a modification ot tUe 

 ?uc aud African N. slellata, Willd., as api)car9 to have been the opinion of Brown. It 



angle 

 leaf 



mu^ *^•^*^'^<^'"gly Jn size. The larger specimens have the leaves about 18 inches across, i^ 

 ^Pil^'™ 1-etic.ilations underueath, the flowers 12 in. across, with exceedingly nuiULr 

 flol q" ''^'''''' ~0^ stamens ; the smallest have leaves of 5 or 6 inches, not reticulate, the 

 thiT, •' "■■ f '"• ^'■'■oss, and the petals and stamens much fewer, but always more iiunicrnus 

 In,ll '''"'''.' '" ^- ^lellata, to which F. Jlueller is disposed to refer several specimens. Ihis 

 wan species may also be distinguished by the connective lengthened beyond the anthcr- 

 Honl ^°-'' '''"■y Promincut appendage, and it appears to mc that Caspary (notes m llerb. 

 th° V ''^ o "°'^' i" considering all the Australian specimens as forms of N. gigantea. Li 

 la,l. '' ^"/'^"^^ the flowers and leaves are very small in the early part of the season, and 

 *oei and larger ones arc developed as the season advances. F. Mueller also distinguishes 



