248 flora indica. [Papaveracece . 



tioles ; of which the latter have interrupted vascular bundles. These peculiarities he 

 quotes as grave reasons against associating Nelumbium and Nympfuva together ; they 

 are of great interest in a physiological point of view, but of no weight in a systematic 

 one, especially as they accompany a very different habit. 



Amongst the many minor points of affinity between Nelumhiacete and the conti- 

 guous Orders, v»hieh have not been alluded to under Ngnipkaacea, are the milky 

 juice, which they have in common with Nymphaacea and Papavemcece, the resem- 

 blance of the imbricated, deciduous sepals and petals to those of Berberidece, the 

 adnate anthers, and the appendage to the filaments. In addition it may be remarked 

 that Nelumbiacea are not allied, even distantly, to any other natural family what- 

 ever. Trccul remarks a tendency to sutural dehiscence in the carpels. 



Several species of this genus have been described, but it is doubtful whether there 

 are more than two, an American yellow-flowered one, and the pink or white Indian 

 one (the Lotus, or Sacred Bean of India), which is said by Herodotus and Tbeophras- 

 tus to have been a native of Egypt, where it is not now found. The seeds and rhi- 

 zomes are eatable. 



1. NELUMBIUM, Juss 



Character ordinis. 



1. N. speciosum (Willd. Sp. PI. ii. 1258); floribus albis roseisve. 



DC. Syst. ii. 44, Prod. i. 311 ; Bot. Mag. t. 903 ; Led. PI. Ross. i. 

 83 ; Wight et Am. Prod. i. 16 ; Roxb. PL Ind. 647 ; Wight, III t. 9. 

 N. Asiaticum, Rich. Ann. Mus. xvii. 249. t. 9, semen, etc. Nelumbo nu- 

 cifera, Gtertn. Fruct. i. 73. t. 19./. 2. N. Indica, Poir.Dict. iv. 453. 

 Cyamus Neluinbo, Smith, Exot. Bot. i. 59. t. 31-32. C. mysticus, Salisb. 

 Ann. Bot. ii. 75. Nymphsea Nelumbo, Linn. Sp. PI. 730. 



Hab, Per totam Indiam calidam divulgatuin, sed ssepe (an semper?) 

 introduction : in Kashmir in lacu prope urbem, alt. 5300 ped., vulgare ! 



(FL tempore pluvioso.) (v. v.) 



Distrib. Mare Caspicum ! et Aral; Persia ! ; ins. Malayanis et Phi- 

 lippinis ! China! Japonia ; Australia tropica ! 



Petioli et peduncuH supra aquam exserti, tuberculis retrorsis scaberuli v. lseves, 

 vasis spiralibus repleti, sneco lacteo scatentes. Folia 1-2 ped. diani., exacte peltata, 

 glabra, margine subundulata, subtus pallidiora, nervis prominulis. Flores ampli, 

 4-6 nnc. diam. Anther <b connectivo in appendicem subclavatam producto. Torus 

 fruct us 2-4 unc. diam. Nuces magnitudine pisi vel cerasi parvi. 



XIV. PAPAVEEACE^E. 



Sepala 2, rarius 3, decidua. Petala 4, rarius 6, hypogyna, aestiva- 

 tione plerumque plieata. Stamina libera indefinite, rarius definita, hy- 

 pogyna ; antheris liberis 2-locularibus longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. 

 Ovarium liber urn, e carpellis 2 v. pluribus compositum (rarissime 

 pellis diseretis) ; ovula plurima (rarissime solitaria), plaeentis latius- 

 culis inserta, anatropa v. amphitropa. Stylus terminalis v. nullus. 

 Stigmata radiantia, ssepe bicrura et ob crura connata quasi plaeentis 

 opposita. Fractus siccus, capsularis, rarius baccatus, 1-1 ocularis v. 

 septis incompletis multilocularis, indehiscens v. valvis brevibus dehi- 

 scens. Semina plurima, exarillata, funiculo brevi. Albumen copio- 



