MYSTIC PLANTS. 407 



sacred plants will be better understood by a brief 

 general description of both, so liable to confusion by 

 applying the name of lotos in each instance. 



The sacred lotos of the Nile figures conspicuously 

 on the monuments, enters largely into the decora- 

 tion, and seems to have been interwoven with the 

 religious faith of the ancient Egyptians. This lotos 

 is mentioned by the old writers as an herbaceous 

 plant of aquatic habits, and from their combined de- 

 scription it is evident that some kind of water lily is 

 intended. " When the river is full, and the plains 

 are inundated, there grow in the water numbers of 

 lilies which the Egyptians call lotos." ^ " The lotos 

 so-called, grows chiefly in the plains when the country 

 is inundated. The flower is white, the petals are 

 narrow, as those of the lily, and numerous, as of a 

 very double flower. When the sun sets they cover 

 the seed-vessel, and as soon as the sun rises the 

 flowers open, and appear above the water ; and this 

 is repeated until the seed vessel is ripe and the petals 

 fall off. It is said that in the Euphrates both the 

 seed-vessel and the petals sink down into the water 

 from the evening until midnight, to a great depth, so 

 that the hand cannot reach them ; at daybreak they 

 emerge, and as the day comes on they rise above the 

 water; at sunrise the flowers open, and when fully. 



1 Herodotus. 



