460 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Nymphsea continued. 



N. gigantea (gigantic).* fl. of a beautiful blue, 6in. to Tin. across, 

 with numerous petals and a dense mass of deep golden-coloured 

 stamens, which form a striking contrast. Summer. /. peltate, 

 smooth, dark green. Australia, 1852. A handsome greenhouse 

 or stove species. (B. M. 4647.) 



N. Kalmiana (Kalm's). A synonym of Xuphar pitmilum. 



N. Lotus.* Egyptian Lotus, fl. red or white, with the sepals red 

 at the margins, large. Summer. I. peltate, sharply serrated ; 

 under surface pilose at the nerves, and pubescent between 

 them. Tropics of Old World, 1802. Stove. This is the Lotos, 

 which was celebrated by the ancient Egyptians, sacred to Isis, 

 and was sometimes engraven on their very ancient coins. It is 

 not to be confounded with the Lotos of the Lotophagi, which is 

 supposed to be Ziziiphus Lotux. The seeds, dried and ground, 

 were made into a kind of bread by the ancient Egyptians, as 

 were also the roots. Fig. 704 represents an abnormal condition, 

 which appeared in the Paris Botanic Garden some years ago. 

 From the axils of some of the floral leaves of an otherwise normal 

 flower, have developed five flower-stalks (two being united), each 

 bearing another flower; a very strange and interesting instance 

 of proiiflcation. (A. B. R. 503 ; B. M. 1280 and 1364, under nanie 

 of N. r libra.) 



N. L. dentata (toothed).* fl. pure white, very large, from 6in. to 

 14in. in diameter, many-petaled, produced in great profusion in 



Nymphsea continued. 



Summer. Z. peltate, bluntly and sinnately toothed, not dotted, 

 smooth on both surfaces, two-lobed at the base ; lobes incumbent. 

 Cape of Good Hope, 1792. A handsome greenhouse or stove 

 species, distinguished from JV. xtellata by its much larger and 

 many-petaled flowers, and by the petals being more obtuse. 

 (K. d. S. vi. 645.) 



N. stellata (starry).* fl. blue, very delicately scented, produced in 

 abundance throughout the summer months. I. peltate, nearly 

 entire, without dots, glabrous on both surfaces, two-lobed at the 

 base. Tropical Africa, 1812. A beautiful stove plant, which 

 was probably held sacred by the Egyptians, and frequently repre- 

 sented on their old monuments and in hieroglyphics. (B. M. 

 552, under name of N. cairulea.) 



N. s. cyanea (blue). Indian Blue. tt. blue. June to September. 

 1. peltate. India, 1809. Stove. (B. M. 2058.) 



N. s. versicolor (various-coloured), fl. white, changing to red ; 

 several of the outer petals are green, and furrowed on the back 

 with green lines. Summer. I. peltate, with the margin and 

 between the recesses sinnately toothed, full of pustules, glabrous 

 on both surfaces. Bengal, 1807. Stove. (B. M. 1189, under 

 name of JV. nersicolor.) 



N. s. zanzibarensis (Zanzibar).* fl. intense blue ; anthers with 

 a shade of violet; sepals green outside and purple within. 



FIG. 704. NVMPH^A LOTUS, with Abnormal Inflorescence. 



autumn. I. 



in diameter. .,, c .ia. j^uu 



4257, under name of JV. de 



I. peltate, very large, serrated at the margins, often 2ft. 

 er. Sierra Leone, 1845. A magnificent variety. (B. M. 

 jr name of JV. dentata.) 



N. Lotus (Lotus), of Sims. A synonym of JV. thermalis. 



N. micrantha (small-flowered), fl. smaller than the common 

 Water Lily ; sepals four, pale yellowish-green ; petals many, white 

 or whitish. August. I. elliptic-rotundate, tinged underneath 

 with pale pnrplish-brown. West Africa. Stove. (B. M. 4535.) 



N '7 nitida ( sh ining). fl. white, scentless, smaller than those of 

 JV. odorata; petals blunt. June. I. cordate, quite entire, nerves 

 n^Prora'nent on the under surface ; petioles smooth. Siberia. 



N. odorata (sweet-scented).* fl. white, tinged with red, sweet- 

 scented, about 6m. across, expanding in the morning, but closing 

 afternoon; petals blunt. Summer. I. cordate, quite enthv, 

 with the nerves and veins on the under surface very prominent. 

 North America, 1786. A handsome hardy species, very like i\. alba, 

 but quite distinct. (A. B. R.297; B. M. 819.) 'I 'here is a verv hand' 

 some variety, with flowers faintly tinged with pink, called rosea. 

 fl. white, fragrant ; petals acute ; torus 



N. pygmsea (pigmy), j ,, >. ,,.,. , FCTO10 ,. 



emsh-yellow. June to September. I. cordate, quite entire, 



__-,*_,. uuiio KI oepi .. . H . vv , ,., 



nerves not prominent; petioles smooth. Central and Northern 

 IBOO. An elegant little hardy species. (B. M. 1525.) 



N. rubra (red). A synonym of JV. Lotus. 



N. scutifolia (shield-leaved).* a. bright blue, sweet-scented. 



Summer. Zanzibar, 1880. Stove. This is one of the most free 

 flowering and beautiful of all the Water Lilies. 



N. Sturtevantil (Sturtevant's).* A handsome garden variety, of 

 American origin ; a very flo-riferous large-flowered stove plant, 

 with lighter-coloured blossoms than its parent, N. Devonii-nxix. 



N. thermalis (hot-bath).* Hungarian Lotus, fl. pure white, 

 having a somewhat vinous odour, very freely produced during 

 summer. I. peltate, sharply toothed, glabrous on both surfaces 

 Hungary, in the warm river Pecze, 1802. Stove. (B. M. 797, 

 under name of JV. Lotus ; F. d. S. vii. 706, 707.) 



N. tuberosa (tuberous). /. 4in. to 7in. across, very faintly 

 scented ; sepals and petals as in JV. alba and A', vdurata. July 

 and August. 1. circular, Sin. to 18in. in diameter, with an entire 

 or undulated margin. Rootstock creeping, bearing oblong tubers. 

 North-eastern United States. Hardy. (B. M. 6536.) 



N. versicolor (various-coloured). A synonym of JV. stellata versi- 

 color. 



NYMFHJEACEJE. A small order of freshwater 

 herbs, widely dispersed over the globe. Flowers mostly 

 floating, showy, often on scapes which rise to some dis- 

 tance above the water ; sepals three to six, petals three 

 to many, and stamens six to many. Fruit sometimes 

 emerging, sometimes maturing under water. Leaves rarely 

 emerging from the water, often peltate, involute in ver- 

 nation, the submerged ones not unfrequently dissected. 



