AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



459 



NYCTAGINE.2E. An order of herbs, rarely shrubs 

 or trees, inhabiting tropical and warm regions, mostly 

 America, rarely found in Australia, very rare in Africa. 

 Flowers hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, regular, 

 frequently disposed in paniculate or corymbose ter- 

 minal and axillary cymes, very rarely solitary or race- 

 mose, sometimes umbellulate or capitate, often with a 

 calyciform involucre ; perianth small or minute, or rarely 

 rather large, obscure or coloured; stamens one to many, 

 hypogynous. Fruit various. Leaves opposite and alter- 

 nate, sessile or stalked, simple, entire, penniveiued. 

 The roots of this order are endowed with purgative or 

 emetic qualities ; that of Mirabilis Jalapa (false Jalap) 

 has the nauseous smell of the true Jalap, with which 

 it was long confounded. The order comprises twenty- 

 three genera and about 215 species. Examples are : 

 Abronia, Bougainvillea, Mirabilis, Nyctaginia. 



NYCTANTHES (from nyx, nyctos, night, and anthos, 

 a flower ; in allusion to the flowers opening at the ap- 

 proach of night, and falling off at the break of day). 

 OBD. Oleacece. A monotypic genus. The species is an 

 erect, spreading, stove shrub, or small tree, thriving in 

 a compost of sandy loam and fibry peat, to which may 

 be added a small quantity of sand and charcoal. 

 Propagated, in May, by cuttings of half-ripened 

 shoots, inserted in sand, under a bell glass, in bottom 

 heat. 



N. arbor-tristis. Tree of Sadness, fl. 

 white, numerous, very fragrant, disposed 

 in a large, terminal, leafy, cross-armed 

 panicle, composed of small, five-flowered, 

 terminal umbellets ; corolla salver-shaped. 

 July. I. on short petioles, cordate, acu- 

 minated, entire or coarsely serrated, sca- 

 brous. Branches tetragonal, h. 10ft to 

 18ft. India, 1781. (B. M. 4900; B. R. 

 399.) 



NYCTERINIA. A synonym of 

 Zaluzianskia (which see). 



NYCTERIUM. Included under 

 Solarium (which see). 



N YCTOCALOS (from nyx, nyctot, 

 night, and kalos, beautiful; referring 

 to the flowers and time of opening 

 of the first-discovered species). OBD. Bignoniacece. A 

 small genus (three species) of stove, scandent, tall 

 shrubs, of which but one species is as yet introduced. 

 The other two are natives of the Malayan Archipelago. 

 Flowers few, on long peduncles ; corolla tube very long, 

 cylindrical ; limb spreading, or two-lipped ; lobes five, or- 

 biculate. Leaves opposite, trifoliolate ; leaflets entire, pe- 

 tiolulate. The species described below succeeds best when 

 planted out in well-drained turfy loam and sand in the 

 stove, and its long shoots trained near the glass in full 

 light. 



N. Thomson! (Thomson's), ft. white, expanding at night and 

 dropping the next morning ; peduncles pendulous, bearing ter- 

 minal cvines : corolla with a long, narrow, ascending tube, Tin. 

 long, and a broad. Gloxinia-like, oblique liuib. I. trifoliolate. 

 Assam, 1868. (B. M. 5678.) 



NYLANDTIA. A synonym of Mundtia (which see). 

 NYMPH.7EA (from nymphe, a water-nymph; in re- 

 ference to the habitation of the plants). Water Lily. 

 STN. Castaiia. OBD. Nymphceacece. A rather large 

 genus (about a score species) of handsome stove, green- 

 house, or hardy aquatics, with a fleshy or tuberous root- 

 stock. They are mostly distributed over the Northern 

 hemisphere or the tropical regions, a few being found 

 in South Africa or Australia. Flowers white, blue, or 

 red, showy, solitary ; sepals four, girding the base of 

 the torus ; petals numerous, adnate to the torus. Leaves 

 large, profoundly cordate, or peltate, floating. The culti- 

 vation of Water Lilies is by no means difficult. The 

 hardy ones may be planted on hillocks of turfy loam, 

 decomposed manure, and rough sand, so that the crown 

 remains from 6in. to 12in. below the surface of the 



Nymphsea continued. 



water. Where it is impracticable to make a hillock, 

 place the tubers in baskets of rich soil, and submerge 

 these in the places where the plants are intended to 

 grow. The stove species thrive in large pots, wherein 

 a similar mixture of soil to the above should be used, 

 but they require a house temperature of from 65deg. to 

 75deg., and the water heated to about the last-named 

 figure ; though several will sncceed if kept much cooler. 

 A full exposure to all the sun and light possible is re- 

 commended, supposing other plants grown in the house 

 will bear it as well as the Nymphaeas. As the leaves 

 ripen, gradually lower the temperature of the water 

 and the house, and allow the tubers to remain in the 

 water until the time for repotting comes round the 

 following March. Some growers even dry off the roots, 

 by gradually withdrawing all the water, and just keep- 

 ing the soil moistened now and then, to prevent dry- 

 rot, &c. Probably the first-named plan is the best. 

 Propagated by seeds, which, in most cases, ripen freely. 

 They should be sown in small pots of soil, and submerged 

 in a shallow warm-water tank, in spring. The seedlings 

 will grow away freely, if properly treated, and will flower 

 well the same season. 



N. advcna (stranger). A synonym of Nuphar advena. 

 N. alba (white).* Common White Water Lily. ft. white, scentless, 

 floating on the surface of the water, 4in. to 6in. across ; sepals 



FIG. 705. NYMPH^EA ALBA. 



four petals from sixteen to twenty-four, in two or three rows, 

 the outer ones having a green streak along the back. Summer. 

 I. deeply cordate, entire, smooth. Europe (Britain), &c. See 

 Fig. 703. Of this beautiful hardy species there is a very pretty 

 rosy-pink variety, known as rosea. (R. H. 1879, 230, under name 

 of JV. Caspary.) 



N.amazonum (Amazon), ft. Sin. to 4in. in diameter, very fra- 

 grant ; sepals yellow-green, purple at base ; petals yellowish- 

 white. I. sub-orbicular, cordate, obtuse, entire or sinuate- 

 toothed, usually reddish beneath, 4in. to 12in. long. Jamaica. 

 Greenhouse. (B. M. 4823.) 



N. ampla (large), of Hooker. A synonym of X ampla gpeciosa. 



N. a. speciosa (showy), ft., petals white or yellowish-white; 

 exterior stamens much longer than the interior ones. July. 

 I. cordate and a little peltate, sinuate-toothed, glabrous usually 

 purple beneath. Jamaica, 180L Stove. (B. M. 4469, under 

 name of If. ampla.) 



N. C4*srulea (blue). A synonym of N. stellata. 



N. Caspary (Caspary). A synonym of N. alba rosea. 



N. dentata (toothed). A synonym of N. Lotus dentata. 



N. Devoniensis (Duke of Devonshire's).* fl. brilliant rosy-red, 

 from 5in. to Sin. across. Spring to winter. 1. large, peltate. 

 A most beautiful stove hybrid, between A'. Lotus and N. rubra. 

 (B. M. 4665 ; P. F. G. iii. 98.) 



N. elegans (elegant), ft. fragrant, the size of the common Water 

 Lily ; sepals pale green, yellowish at base, and streaked with deep 

 brown petals twelve to fourteen, yellowish-white, tinged with 

 purplish-blue ; both oblong and obtusely acuminated. June. 

 I floating, about 6in. long, 4.',in. to 5in. broad, purple beneath. 

 New Mexico, 1850. Stove. (B. M. 4604.) 



N. flava (yellow). /. canary yellow, of medium size. Summer. 

 I. oblong-orbicular, shallowly crenate, with slightly diverging 

 somewhat prolonged auricles at the base, irregularly blotched 

 with a bronzy colour, especially in the early part of the season. 

 Blade 4in. to 6in. long, and 3iin. to 5in. broad. Rhizome slender, 

 forming numerous suckers. This species never be.-onies thoroughly 

 deciduous, and, therefore, should never be dried off. South 

 United States, 1881. Nearly hardy. 



