NYMPH^A. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



NYMPH^A. 



593 



N. LAYDEKERI FULGENS. A flower of 

 fine colour and cupped, the rounded petals 

 of crimson-purple showing paler within and 

 enclosing a cluster of vivid red stamens. 

 Like all of this .group, it is a good plant 

 for tanks. 



N. LAYDEKERI LILACEA. Very free in 

 its small flowers of soft rosy-lilac tipped 

 with clear pink, their colour deepening 

 to rosy-crimson on the third day. They 

 are held well above the water, shining with 

 an almost silvery lustre in bright sunlight, 

 and scented like a tea-rose. The plant 

 does best in shallow water, and is one of 

 the earliest to show flower. 



X. LAYDEKERI PURPURATA. A telling 

 flower, larger than others in this group, 

 and very shapely with its long pointed 

 petals. They are early, free, and fragrant, 

 of a conspicuous shade of wine-red with 

 orange-red stamens. 



N. LAYDEKERI ROSEA. One of the most 

 useful of hardy Water-Lilies, with fragrant, 

 pale pink flowers, passing through several 

 shades to deep rose as they fade away. 

 It does best in shallow water and gives 

 so few offsets that several plants should 

 be grouped to secure the full effect of the 

 changing flowers. 



N. LUCIDA. With massive flowers open- 

 ing starwise and rosy-vermilion in colour, 

 paling towards the edges and the tips of 

 the petals and deepening towards the 

 cluster of orange stamens. The leaves, 

 borne upon very long stems, are bold and 

 finely blotched with chestnut-red above 

 and reddish streaks beneath. 



N. MARLIACEA ALBIDA. A superb plant, 

 thriving in deep water, where it should be 

 sometimes thinned to avoid overcrowding ; 

 its massive white flowers, of 8 or more 

 inches across, are pushed well above the 

 water, and last into October. They are 

 of glistening purity, fragrant, and very 

 full of petals guarding the cluster of golden 

 anthers. The guard petals are long and 

 broad, but inside they grow shorter and 

 narrower towards the centre. In large 

 groups its general effect is fine. 



N. MARL. CARNEA. A noble hardy 

 plant, in colour a soft flesh-pink, deepening 

 towards the base of the petals and paling 

 gradually to white. It grows well in 

 shallow or deep water, flowering late, and 

 showing its vanilla-scented flowers well 

 above the dark leaves. 



N. MARL. CHROMATELLA. The first yel- 

 low kind sent out, a free and fine plant, but 

 apt to get crowded, and when this happens 

 it does not flower so well. Being vigorous, 

 it is a good plant for deep open water, 

 where its large flowers of canary-yellow 

 show finely against the dark brown leaves, 

 and remain open for a long while each 

 day. 



N. MARL. FLAMMEA. A handsome, 

 though inaptly named, flower of medium 

 size, being a deep wine-red rather than 



flame-colour, with red stamens and petals 

 flaked with white towards the tips. 

 Leaves streaked with reddish-brown. 



N. MARL. IGNEA. One of the brightest 

 in its uniform carmine-red, deepening 

 slightly towards the crown of vivid orange- 

 red stamens ; sepals pale olive-green edged 

 with rose beneath, and paler above. 

 Though not large, the flowers are good 

 in colour, composed of eighteen cupped 

 and shapely petals. 



N. MARL. ROSEA. Another stout 

 grower, thriving in deep water, to which 

 its long slender stems are suited. Flowers 

 rose colour, changing to flesh - pink, 

 broader in petal and fuller than in M. 

 carnea, with the colour deepening towards 

 the tips. Young leaves purplish-red, 

 changing to deep green. 



N. MARL. RUBRO-PUNCTATA. Flowers of 

 great size borne freely and through a long 

 season. Petals rosy-purple, tipped and 

 flaked with pink ; stamens orange-red. 



N. ODORATA. The white American 

 Pond-Lily, common in the eastern States 

 and with all the beauty of our own, and 

 fragrant. It varies much in size and 

 colour, and, being of moderate growth, is 

 well suited to tanks. The leaf may be 

 anything from 5 to 10 inches across, nearly 

 round, and purplish when young, chang- 

 ing to pure green and reddish beneath. 

 Flowers of 3 to 5 inches, composed of 

 narrow pointed petals, long in the bud. 



N. ODORATA CAROLINIANA. The leaves 

 are green above and red beneath, and 

 though nearly a foot across when fully 

 grown, the plant is only of moderate 

 growth and not too vigorous for a tank. 

 Though easily divided, the plant is best 

 left alone for several years, gaining in size 

 of flowers, which become 6 or more inches 

 across, composed of very narrow pale pink 

 petals, deepening in colour towards the 

 centre. The flowers vary through several 

 shades of colour, according to soil and 

 climate, the following varieties being fairly 

 constant : nivea, with very double pure 

 white flowers, narrow petals and rich 

 yellow stamens ; perfecta, with semi- 

 double flowers of the small narrow petals, 

 but more rounded at the tip and deep 

 flesh or salmon in colour ; and salmonea, 

 a strong form with flowers of decided 

 salmon-pink. 



N. ODORATA EXQUISITA. Finely-shaped 

 rosy-carmine flowers of medium size, with 

 narrow, pointed petals and golden sta- 

 mens ; they are the darkest of this group, 

 and stand well out of the water. Leaves 

 green above and intense red below. 



N. ODORATA GIGANTEA. The larger 

 southern form of odorata, found from 

 N. Carolina to Florida, and known as 

 the Rice-field Water-Lily. It is of great 

 vigour, delighting in deep water and flow 

 ering early in the season, but not in 

 the autumn. The leaves are very large, 



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