NYMPH A FA ( 'EAE. 33 



Family YII. NYMPHAEACEAE. 



Aquatic perennial herbs. Leaves rising above, submerged in or 

 usually floating on the water, often peltate, margins involute in 

 bud. Flowers floating or rarely emergent, solitary on axillary 

 peduncles. Sepals 3-5. Petals 3-5 or many. Stamens 6 or 

 indefinite ; all free and inserted on a fleshy torus surrounding 

 or rarely enveloping the gynoecium. Carpels 3 or more, free 

 or united or sunk in the pits of the torus ; stigmas of the distinct 

 carpels terminal and peltate, of rnany-carpelled ovaries as many 

 as the carpels, adnate to the upper surface ; ovules anatropous or 

 orthotropous ; few and pendent from the summit of the cell or 

 many, covering the walls of the cells. Fruit of distinct indehiscent 

 carpels or many-carpelled, fleshy or spongy. Seeds arilled or not ; 

 albumen floury, fleshy or rarely ; embryo enclosed in the enlarged 

 persistent embryo-sac. 



Leaves floating ; carpels connate into a many-celled ovary 



1. Nymphaea. 



Leaves raised above the water; carpels sunk in the torus 



2. Nelumbium. 



1. Nymphaea, Linn. 



Large perennial herbs. Leaves floating, usually peltate. Flowers 

 large, floating, on long axillary peduncles. Sepals 4. Petals 

 numerous, gradually passing into stamens. Stamens with petaloid 

 filaments and small introrse anthers. Carpels sunk in the fleshy 

 fcorus and with it forming a many-celled ovary crowned by the 

 radiating stigmas ; ovules very numerous, anatropous. Fruit a 

 spongy many-seeded berry, ripening below the surface. Seeds 

 minute, embedded in the pulp, enclosed in a sac-like aril. 



Leaves entire or sinuate, glabrous on both sides ; flowers blue, white, 



rose or purple 1. N. stellata. 



Leaves sharply sinuate-toothed, densely pubescent beneath ; flowers 

 white or red 2. A T . pubescens. 



1. NYMPHAEA STELLATA, Willd. ; F. B. I. i. 114; W. & A. 17 ; 

 Wt. Ic. t. 178. 



Tanks and ponds on the E. Coast from Madras to Tanjore, 

 also in backwaters along the W. Coast, 



D 



