2cS Olfervatmis on the Lotus of Egypt. 



X-ettres *, and lately profeflbr Sprenge!, of Halle t> have given 

 very accurate informalimi rdpccling thefe plants. 



The expedition to Egypt aftbrded me an opportunity of 

 niakuifi' the following obicrvations on the fame fubjeiil : tney 

 are naturally conneded with thofc already made in Egypt 

 by C. Savigny on the nymphaea caerulea, and complete the 

 hiftorv of that plant. 



Herodotus :{: relates that the Egypt-ans fed on the lotus 

 •which orew in the waters of the ISile. He calls this lotus a 

 lily, and fays that the feeds, fimilar to thofe of the poppy, 

 were employed for making bread. He adds, that they ate 

 alfo the roots of the lotus, which were round, of the fize of 

 an apple, and of a fwcet and agreeable favour. Herodotus 

 then fpeaks of another kind of lily refembling a rofe, which 

 grew alfo in the Nile, the fruit of which had the form of a 

 wal'p's neft, and which contained feveral feeds good to eat, 

 and of the fize of an olive, 



Theophralius § gives a very accurate defcription of the fame 

 plants: — " The lolus," fays he, " grows in the fields w^hen 

 they are inundated. Its flowers are white, and have petals 

 like thofe of the lily. Tiiey fpring up in great numbers clofe 

 to each other. They (hut their leaves at iun-fet, and conceal 

 their fruit. Thefe flowers open again when the fun reappears, 

 and rife above the water j and this alternation is repeated till 

 the fruit is completely formed, and the flowers have dropped 

 oft". The fruit is equal to that of a large poppy, and contains 

 a oreat number of feeds fimilar to grains of millet. The 

 Egyptians depofit the fruit in heaps, and fufler the rind to 

 putreiv ; they then feparate the feeds by wafliing them in the 

 Nile, dry them, and knead them into bread. The root of the 

 lotus called corjion is round, and of the fize of a (]uince. Its 

 rind is black, and like that of the cheftnut. This root is 

 white in the infide, and is eaten either raw or boiled." 



The lily of the Nile, like the rofes mentioned by Herodo- 

 tus, is called by Athenaeus |1 Egyptian bean, and the rofe 

 lotus. Theophralius gives it the name of bean. 



" This bean grows in the marflies and ponds. Its ftem 13 

 four cubits in length, and as thick as the finger. It rcfem- 

 bles a reed without knots. The fruit it bears is fliaped like a 

 wafp's ncft, and contains about thirty beans a little prominent, 

 pach depofited in adiflercnt cell. The llower is twice as large 

 ps thitt of the poppy, and entirely a rofc. The leaves are fupr 



"* Hif.niit (ic r/Unclcmic dts JnCcripiioiis, \ol. li. p. 2S5. 



f An iq;iit?.tnni uotanicarum Specimen [.iiinvini, p. 4.7. 



J [q Euu rpe, c-p. xcii. 



6 TiKophvafti Hill. Plant, lib. ir. cap. 10. 



jl Atlanaei Dtipnol'oph. lib. iii. p. 72 j Ub. xv. p. 677. 



ported 



