IN MY LADY'S GARDEN 



may select, perhaps, a dozen of remarkable loveliness, some 

 of which (as Nymphaea lucida) will throw their starry 

 blossoms above the water, whilst others float upon the 

 surface. An interesting peculiarity in these plants is this 

 that the flowers open daily for about five hours, during 

 four successive days, each time the opening blossom being 

 larger and more brilliant in tint ; they then close for ever, 

 looking again like buds, until they decay or are removed. 



N. lucida is in delicate shades of salmon-pink, deeper in 

 the centre, the blossoms being held erect about 6 inches 

 above the water ; it is a vigorous plant, with foliage 

 marbled in brown, flowering during the whole season. 

 N. gloriosa is a large and very handsome water-lily, 

 about 8 inches across, in rich glowing crimson, with a 

 copper-red central tuft of stamens adding greatly to its 

 beauty. N. atropurpurea is even darker in tint, with bronze 

 foliage ; but the blossoms are not quite so large as those of 

 N. gloriosa. N. odorata sulphurea grandiflora is the finest 

 of the yellow varieties, the petals shading from pale prim- 

 rose on the outer edge to rich golden yellow in the centre, 

 the foliage being blotched with crimson-brown. N. fulva 

 is in terracotta-red, with spotted leaves ; and N. aurora is 

 most delicately coloured with the tints of the morning sky, 

 the flowers opening in pale apricot, which is daily more 

 heavily flushed with carmine until the flower closes. The 

 blossoms of this lovely flower are not very large, but can 

 scarcely be surpassed in richness and delicacy of tint. 

 Amongst the white nymphasas Caroliniana nivea and Gra- 

 cillina alba are excellent, both being fragrant (as, indeed, 

 most of these water-lilies are). There are also lilies in 

 blush-pink, such as N. arc-en-ciel, a plant which is dis- 

 tinguished from all others by the extraordinary beauty of 

 its leaves, which are tinted when they first unfurl on the 

 water with brilliant carmine, apricot, and crimson, like those 

 of Ampelopsis veitchii in autumn, making a delightful 

 contrast to the creamy pink blossoms. N. colossea is a 

 large fragrant flower, in flesh-pink, with green leaves ; and 

 N. ellisiana is one of the most brilliant in colour, being 



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