50 NymphcBaceCB. [Nymphaa. 



Herm. Mus. 19. Burni. Thes. 173. Fl. Zeyl. n. 194. Moon Cat. 41. 

 Thw. Enum. 14. C. P. 1020. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 114. Wight, 111. i. t. 10 {N. rubra). 



Rootstock short, erect, roundish, tuberous ; 1. on very long, 

 erect, cylindrical, .submerged petioles, blade horizontal, float- 

 ing, peltate, 6-8 in. diam., sagittate- rotundate, very obtuse, 

 with a narrow or wide sinus 3 in. deep at base, coarsely and 

 sharply sinuate-dentate, smooth above, more or less densely 

 and finely velvety-tomentose beneath, \vith the veins very 

 prominent ; fl. solitary, very large, 5-7 in. diam., on very long, 

 usually pubescent, peduncles ; sep. oblong, obtuse, ribbed, 

 glabrous or pilose externally; pet. about 12, oblong or oval- 

 oblong, obtuse, spreading ; stam. about 40, anthers without 

 appendages, filaments dilated at base ; rays of stigma ter- 

 minating in fleshy, club-shaped, mcurved appendages ; fr. 

 \\\n. diam., globular, fleshy, green, crowned with erect, con- 

 nivent, stiff, persistent sep., cells (about 15) closely crowded 

 with seeds ; seeds ovoid-globular, ribbed with vertical lines of 

 little tubercles and very minutely transversely striate, aril 

 white, transparent. 



Var /3. pubescens, Willd. Sp. Pl.W. ii54(sp.). C. P. 1019. 

 L. more densely tomentose-pubescent beneath ; fl. smaller 

 3-4 in. diam. ; sep. acute. 



Streams and ponds and tanks throughout the low country up to about 

 1000 ft.; very common, especially var. /3. Fl. throughout the year ; white, 

 pale or dark rose-coloured, open only in the morning, fragrant. The 

 flower sinks to mature the fruit, which ripens under water. 



Equally abundant throughout tropical India, Africa, Java, and the 

 Philippines. There is also a remarkable outlying station in Europe (in 

 Hungary) where there are hot springs. 



The small seeds are eaten. 



The colour of the flowers varies from pale pink or nearly white to a 

 rich deep rose colour, their size is also very variable ; but these differ- 

 ences are not united with any structural ones of sufficient importance to 

 distinguish separate species. Perhaps all our specimens should be re- 

 ferred X.0 pubescens. 



2. N. stellata, Willd. Sp. PL ii. 11 53 (1799). ZIKanel, S. 



Moon Cat. 41. Thw. Enum. 14. C. P. 1021. 



Fl. B. Ind. i. 114. Bot. Mag. t. 2058. 



Rootstock ovoid, short, erect ; 1. on long, rather slender, 

 submerged petioles, blade floating, about 5-8 in. diam., 

 sagittate-rotund, very obtuse, with a usually narrow sinus, 

 2-3 in. deep at base, entire or coarsely sinuate, glabrous on 

 both sides ; fl. solitary on long peduncles, 3-6 in. diam. ; sep, 

 narrowly oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or subacute ; pet. linear- 

 lanceolate, acute or subobtuse ; stam. with a tongue-shaped 

 appendage beyond the anth. ; stigmatic rays acute, curved 



