CABOMBACEA.—NY MPH HACE.E. 441 
Order 10. CaBoMBACE, the Water-shield Order.—C haracter. 
—Aquatic plants, with floating peltate leaves. Sepals and petals 
3 or 4, alternating with each other. Stamens definite or numer- 
ous. Thalamus tlattened, small. Carpels 2 or more, distinct. 
Fruit indehiscent. Seeds few; embryo minute, enclosed in a 
vitellus, and outside of abundant fleshy albumen. 
Diagnosis.—The only orders likely to be confounded with 
this, are the Nymphzeaceze and Nelumbiacez. The plants be- 
longing to the Cabombacez are distinguished from the Nym- 
pheeaceze, by having distinct carpels, marginal placentas, few 
seeds, no evident thalamus, and by the presence of fleshy instead 
of farinaceous albwmen ; and from the Nelumbiacez, by their 
small thalanys, by having more than one seed in each carpel, 
by their minute embryo, and their abundant albumen. Both 
Cabombaceer and Nelumbiacee are included in Nympheacex by 
Bentham and Hooker. 
Distribution and Numbers.—There are but 3 species belonging 
to this order. They occur in America, Australia, and India. 
Illustrative Genera :—Cabomba, Aubl.; and Brasenia, Push, are 
the only genera. 
Properties and Uses.—They have no important properties. 
Brasenia (Hydropeltis) purpurea is said to be nutritious. 
Order 11. NympHmace&, the Water-lily Order.—Charac- 
ter.—Aquatic perennial herbs. Leaves usually floating, peltate 
or cordate. lowers solitary, large and showy. Sepals inferior, 
Fic. 880. Fie. 881. Fie. 882. 
Fig. 880. Flower of Yellow Water-lily (Vuphar 
luteum). Fig. 881. Ovary of Vuphar with 
numerous radiating stigmas. Fig. 882. 
Vertical section of the seed of Vymphca 
alba, showing the embryo enclosed in a 
vitellus, and on the outside of albumen. 
usually 4 (fig. 453, c, ¢, c, ¢), or rarely 5 (fig. 880), persistent, 
generally petaloid on their inside. Petals numerous (fig. 453, 
P, P; P, P), deciduous, often passing by gradual transition into 
the stamens (fig. 453, p, e), in the same way as the sepals pass 
into the petals ; inserted on a fleshy disk-like expansion of the 
thalamus below the stamens (jig. 522), Stamens numerous, 
placed upon the thalamus ; filaments petaloid (fig. 453, e, 1, 2, 
3, 4,5); anthers adnate. Thalamus large, forming a disk-like 
expansion more or less surrounding the ovary, and having 
