592 



NYMPH^EA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



NYMPH^A. 



NYMPH^A ALBA (White Water-lily). 

 Found in many parts of our country 

 and throughout Europe to Siberia. The 

 flowers, of 4 to 6 inches across, float upon 

 the water amid rounded leaves of bright 

 green, very variable as to size, and reddish 

 while young. 



N. ALBA VAR. CANDIDISSIMA. A large- 



flowered form sometimes called the 

 Hampton Court Lily. Its white flowers 

 are broader in petal, coming early and 

 continuing late, and thrust well above the 

 water. Its growth is strong, needing 

 ample space. Leaves of yellow green 

 while young, the leaf-lobes much curved 

 and overlapping. At certain times and 

 in certain soils the sepals are flushed 

 with rose-colour. 



N. ALBA VAR. DELICATA. Flowers 



flushed with pale rose. N. alba maxima 

 large flowers. N. alba minor, a small- flow- 

 ered variety with blooms of great purity, 

 and prettily incurved. N. alba var. plenis- 

 sima, a form with large, nearly double 

 flowers. N. alba var. rubra is a scarce 

 plant, best known as the Swedish Water- 

 Lily, and classed as a form of alba, though 

 distinct in its smaller leaves of different 

 shape, slightly rolled inwards at the edges, 

 olive-green above and dull reddish below. 

 The flowers are smaller, fuller, and more 

 refined, with broader and blunter petals. 

 It blooms early, but soon goes to rest. 

 With so short a season it spreads slowly, 

 is averse to removal, and also to hot 

 weather. The flowers vary from pale 

 pink to a deep magenta, deepening towards 

 the centre of the flower and from day to 

 day. Seeds freely, but the seedlings 

 mostly revert, only the tiny slow-growing 

 plants coming true. Syns. N. Caspary 

 and N. sphcerocarpa. 



N. ANDREANA. Bears cup-shaped 

 flowers of brick-red colour shaded with 

 orange, and held well above the water. 

 The leaves are blotched with chestnut- 

 brown, their lobes overlapping, and with 

 such long stalks that they float out, far 

 apart. The flowers come so freely that a 

 score or more are sometimes open together 

 on one strong plant. 



N. ARC-EN-CIEL. A distinct hybrid with 

 blending shades of pale salmon streaked 

 with rose, and crimson spotted sepals. 

 The leaves are variegated in white, rose, 

 and shades of green and bronze. 



N. ARETHUSA. A plant of strong growth 

 and very free, coming near Laydekeri 

 fulgens in its bright crimson colour, but 

 larger in flower and more robust. 



N. ATROPURPUREA. One of the darkest 

 of all, with very large flowers of deep 

 port-wine colour, with pale yellow stamens 

 and petals incurved at the tips. Of good 

 growth, free, with dark leaves shaded with 

 red on their under surface. 



N. AURORA. So named from its chang- 

 ing tints, which vary from a pale rosy- 

 yellow on opening, to orange or reddish 



tones on the third day, different plants 

 showing much variation in depth of colour. 



N. CARRISBROOKI. A new kind raised in 

 California, and described as bearing flowers 

 of bright flesh pink, and fragrant. 



N. CHRYSANTHA. A handsome kind of 

 medium growth, and deep yellow flowers 

 passing to orange-red, with a cluster of 

 bright red stamens ; leaves edged and 

 marbled with bronze. 



N. COLOSSEA. Very large in leaf and 

 flower, blooming with the earliest and 

 lasting well into the autumn. Leaves 

 rich green above and brown beneath, the 

 fragrant flowers of pale pink, the outer 

 segments of pale olive-green, and pale 

 yellow stamens. Thrives in open water 

 in deep pond mud, even when exposed in 

 large lakes. 



N. EI.LISIANA. One of the best, rich 

 in colour and conspicuous at a distance. 

 Large broad-petalled flowers of reddish- 

 crimson with orange - red stamens. A 

 plant of robust growth and free in flower. 



N. FRCEBELI. An improved form of the 

 Swedish Water-Lily raised at Zurich, and 

 of deeper colour and stronger growth. 

 Of good size and fragrant, its flowers are 

 of deep crimson with orange stamens, 

 coming freely to the end of September. 

 It is one of the finest dark kinds, thriving 

 in exposed open water, and effective in 

 the distance. 



N. FULVA. Bears medium-sized star- 

 shaped flowers, curiously incurved at the 

 tips of the petals, and sweetly scented. 

 Its colour is rose upon yellow, with yellow 

 stamens, the red growing deeper towards 

 the centre and brightening with age. 

 Leaves spotted with brown above, and 

 suffused with red beneath. 



N. GLADSTONIANA. Has white flowers 

 of great size, sometimes 8 inches across. 

 They are free from all traces of colour, 

 and stand well above the water on stout 

 stems, the whole plant being of free and 

 open habit. One of the first to bloom 

 in spring, and the last flowers are only 

 cut down by autumn frosts. 



N. GLORIOSA. Bears massive flowers 

 7 inches across, rich dark red with orange- 

 coloured stamens, and fragrant. Being 

 slow to spread and difficult of increase, 

 it should be left for several years undis- 

 turbed, and while of strong growth, it 

 sometimes dies off suddenly. The flowers 

 are very full, and floating, the lower 

 petals often prettily tipped with rosy- 

 white during the heat of summer, becoming 

 deeper and more uniform towards the 

 autumn. This is the only kind always 

 bearing five sepals. 



N. JAMES BRYDON. A distinct sort with 

 flowers of 4 to 6 inches wide, of a soft 

 rose-crimson ; petals finely rounded and 

 curving inwards, with a paler, silvery 

 sheen beneath, and stamens of bright 

 orange. An excellent kind, quite hardy. 



