THE WATER LILY. 



THIS is the name of an aquatic 

 plant of the genus Nymphcea', 

 distinguished for its usually very 

 fragrant flowers and large, float 

 ing leaves; applied also to the yellow 

 pond lily of the genus Nuphar. The 

 species alba has a large flower filled 

 with petals, so as almost to appear 

 double; it raises itself out ot the 

 water and expands about seven o'clock 

 in the morning, and closes again, re 

 posing upon the surface, about four in 

 the afternoon. The roots have an 

 astringent, bitter taste. They are used 

 in Ireland and in the island of Jura 

 to dye a dark brown or chestnut color. 

 Swine are said to eat it, goats not to 

 be fond of it, kine and horses to re 

 fuse it. The flowers, the herb, and the 

 root were formerly used in medicine, 

 but are all now obsolete. 



The lotus resembles our common 

 white species in the form of the flower 

 and leaves, but the latter are toothed 

 about the edge. It is a native of the 

 hot parts of the East Indies, Africa, 

 and America, is very common in parks, 

 lakes, and rivers in Jamaica and grows 

 in vast quantities on the plains of lower 

 Egypt, near Cairo, during the time 

 they are under water. It flowers there 

 about the middle of September and 

 ripens toward the I2th of October. 

 The Arabians call it nuphar. The 

 ancient Egyptians made a bread of the 

 seed of the lotus dried and ground. 



All the species of water lilies grow 

 well in large pots of water with a few 

 inches of rich soil at the bottom. 

 They are propagated by dividing the 

 root, and some sorts which produce 

 bulbs are increased by the offshoots 

 from these. Mr. Kent, who cultivated 

 these plants to great perfection, found 

 that the bulbous-rooted nymphaea, if 



limited in their growth for want of 

 water, or from cold or excessive heat, 

 were apt to form bulbous roots and 

 cease growing for the season. Hence 

 the necessity of water and heat to 

 make them flower freely. 



The plant known especially in this 

 country as the water lily, frequently 

 as pond lily and sometimes as water 

 nymph, was dedicated by the Greeks 

 to the water nymphs. The fruit, which 

 ripens under water, is berry-like, pulpy 

 and thin, and each of its numerous 

 seeds is enveloped in a thin sac. Of 

 about twenty species two are found in 

 the United States. Our common spe 

 cies has almost circular leaves, which 

 often cover a broad surface of water 

 on the margins of lakes and ponds, 

 forming what are known as lily pads. 

 The flowers are often over five inches 

 across, of the purest white, and have a 

 most agreeable sweet scent. In some 

 localities the flowers are tinged with 

 pink, and they are found, though 

 rarely, with the petals bright pink 

 throughout. The leaves also vary in 

 size and sometimes are crimson on the 

 under side. The root stalk, as large as 

 one's arm and several feet long, is 

 blackish outside and marked with 

 scars left by the leaves and flower- 

 stems; it is whitish within. Though 

 the plant often grows in water several 

 feet deep, the leaf and flower accom 

 modate themselves to the depth, and 

 they may sometimes be found where 

 there are but a few inches of water. 



At a place called Dutchman's 

 Slough, we are informed by Mr. George 

 Northrup, about half a mile above the 

 outlet of Calumet Lake, south of 

 Chicago, grow great quantities of 

 water lilies, which are gathered every 

 season for the Chicago market. 



83 



